


Cursed-SteveNat AU (part 1)

by AliasFics374



Series: Cursed [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: (for the most part), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Dark Magic, F/M, Multi, POV Steve Rogers, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Steve Rogers, Slow Burn (ish), cursed woods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 29,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29671506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliasFics374/pseuds/AliasFics374
Summary: When Steve was fifteen the princess of Midguard, Natalia Alianovna Romanova, was kidnapped. Nobody knew what had happened to her, and every search party that had went out to find her returned empty handed. She had never been declared dead, though was never proven to be alive either. The King had stopped the search a year after her disappearance, and left it at that.Now, nearly a decade later, Steve is a knight, and is sent by Commander Fury to find the lost princess. Though when Steve does, he finds that she has changed, and that she does NOT want to return to her "home". She convinces him to give her a week, a "week of freedom", and eventually, he agrees. What happens during that week changes both Steve and Natalia forever.(This is a two part fic, and the second will be posted as part of the Cursed Series)
Relationships: Past Sam Wilson/Riley - Relationship, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov
Series: Cursed [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2181690
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	1. Prologue

Steven Grant Rogers remembered the day that the Romanova Princess was kidnapped. He was only fifteen, and beginning his training as a knight. Only a few months before that day did he truly start his training, on his fifteenth birthday. 

Many of the training days were memorable. Like when he won his first spar, or was knighted. Yet nothing could quite compare to the day that the Princess was declared taken. 

The bells chimed through the hallways and echoed off of the castle walls in a chaotic manor. Immediately, the knights knew something was wrong. Steve still being fifteen and in-training, was told, along with the other young knights, to stay put while the higher officials rushed inside. But Steve and James, being Steve and James, found a way to sneak through the corridors and follow the knights. They sat outside a secret door that was located on the west side of the council chamber, and was the perfect spot for eavesdropping. 

“What do you think has happened?” Steve remembered himself asking James (or as he called him, “Bucky”).

“I’m trying to figure that out too. But whatever it is, it isn’t good. I can hear the King pacing.”

James was right. The sound of the King’s heavy boots clopped on the tile floor. His steps were fast, almost frantic. Both James and Steve put their ears up to the door.

“What do you mean she is gone?” they heard the voice of Commander Fury ask. He was the highest ranking official in the King’s cabinet, and oversaw all the duties of the knights.

“Her ladies-in-waiting haven’t seen her since yesterday. They found her bedchamber empty this morning. Thinking she went for a walk, or was somewhere around the castle, they searched for her, yet she hasn’t been found,” the voice of the King explained. Steve looked to James, who also had a shocked expression on his face. “I’ve had my guards search diligently for her. She’s nowhere to be found. But we did find this.”

“What is it?” Steve asked in a whisper.

“Shh! It’s not like I can see through walls either! Let’s listen!” James hushed back.

“An empty vile?”

“It had a trace of a tranquilizing tonic inside. The physician has already identified it.”

“You’re suggesting this is a raptus? That she’s been kidnapped?”

“Yes.”

Steve’s eyes went wide, and he felt a shiver of fear flow down his spine. James looked just as concerned as her turned to face Steve.

“Let’s go, I’ve heard enough,” he sighed after a moment. The blonde just nodded in agreement, and they both returned to the courtyard. 

He didn’t know the Princess personally or anything like that. He knew her name was Natalia, and that she was a year or two younger than himself. Steve had seen her before. Sometimes she would cross the courtyard, walking alone, wearing some sort of magnificent gown. All the young knights would try to fight their best when she passed, to impress her, especially when it seemed to become a regular routine. He assumed she was heading to the gardens, while they were still training in the courtyard.

But she never paid any attention to the knights who tried to grasp her notice with their sparring. Sometimes she would just steal a quick glance at the boys, then leave, not even looking back.

Sarah Rogers had always told Steve it was rude to stare at a lady. It would be un-noble and just despicable. So he didn’t, he didn’t stare like the rest, but just gave a quick bow when she gave them her attention. 

And now she was gone. 

Soon, word had broke out, and the whole kingdom was searching for the kidnapped Princess. The King sent out his best knights in search of her. 

A week had passed, and the knights returned with nothing. No leads, no information, nothing. The King sent them out again. Again and again, for months! And months soon turned into a year. Eventually, they gave up the search.

The Princess was never declared dead. But a knight was never sent out to search for her again. That was until Steve.


	2. The Assignment

(9 years later)

When Commander Fury requested Steve’s presence, immediately, the knight new something important was to be shared. He had even seen the signs during daily training, when the King had made his presence known on the training grounds over the past few days. It was surprising since the King barely ever made an appearance.

Every so often, Steve would glance over at the royal highness, where he saw the strict man talking quietly to Commander Fury. With his hand covering his mouth, it made it impossible for Steve to even try to predict what they were talking about.

He remembered Brock Rumlow snapping at him, telling him to pay attention as the knight advanced, trying to take advantage of Steve’s distraction. If only it was that easy for him. Steve quickly had Brock pinned behind his sword, and they began their spar again. I guess that had sparked the King’s interest. 

Using the heavy knocker, Steve knocked on the large double wooden doors that lead to the Council Chamber. A moment passed, then eventually he heard a response.

“Come in,” Fury responded.

Steve entered the room, and looked around with awe. He had only been in the council chamber once before, and the chandeliers never ceased to amaze him. A long sturdy wooden table was located in the center, surrounded by a multitude of chairs which were trimmed with the upmost finest red fabric. 

He had never been in the room while it was empty, and it was a great deal to take in. Without the gaze of the other high nobles and officials, he could truly observe the beauty the room held. Its architectural style seemed simplistic, but he couldn’t just miss the details of the lifted ceiling, or the mosaic windows that lined the wall. 

“Sit,” the commander stated. He was far past any sort of greeting, but Steve wasn’t surprised.

“Steven, you have an assignment.”

Once seated, Steve looked up at Fury, a bit shocked. It had been months since he’s received an assignment. He hadn’t had one since James had died. Already he was unsure about this.

“I can see your hesitance,” Fury observed. Of course he did. When hadn’t Fury been able to read people like a book? “But I assure you, this is of upmost importance. This mission is assigned from the King.”

Again. Steve’s eyes flashed up to Fury’s. The King? What business did the King have with him?

“He’s requested you in particular to carry this assignment out. Meaning, you don’t really have a choice about it,” he finished.

“What is the mission?” Steve asked. Now he was curious. Requested by the King? He was eager, yet at the same time, just as nervous.

“It regards the Princess Romanova. He wants to search for her again,” Fury sighed, already exasperated. He looked down at the papers laid out on the table, and tended to those. It was quite obvious that he didn’t like the idea.

“It’s been years, no, nearly a decade since they’ve last searched. Why has the King picked it up again?” Steve couldn’t help but ask. He was feeling bold, that was for sure. Most knights would’ve just taken orders, yet not Steve. He wanted to know the reason behind it all.

“After the Queen and Prince Michail’s passing from the plague all those years ago, King Ivan has tried to produce another heir. Yet… there hasn’t been luck with his new wife. Since Victoria isn’t the rightful queen to the throne, and since King Ivan is getting older, he wants to find his daughter again.”

Steve nodded, “And he wants me to find her.”

“Precisely,” Fury agreed, then handed three sheets of paper along with a map to Steve. “We have a lead. Not much of one, but a tip from a countryman that was traveling through a desolate village, on the western outskirts of Midguard.”

“Red hair, green eyes, small petite stature? That’s not enough to identify her. Who knows how many women in this kingdom look like that!” Steve countered, after flipping through the papers. A letter about the presumed whereabouts, as well as the description was on top. 

“That’s for you to figure out, Captain,” Fury shrugged. “You leave tonight. I suggest you get your things in order.”

“Yes, sir,” Steve sighed, then left the room.

He kept on looking down at the letter as he walked through the hallways of the royal palace. Who knows if this letter was legitimate! For all they know, it could be written by a struggling man who wants a reward. It could all be made up!

But an assignment was an assignment, and Steve had no choice but to complete it, especially when it was given by the King. Already, the knight knew that there was going to be a long journey ahead of him. An unexpected journey. 

Little did he know how unexpected it would truly be.


	3. The Abandoned Village

He arrived at the village in two days time. Convenient that it was so far from the royal palace. The village was called Caerleon, and it was located along the Norfolk river. Steve had done some traveling in his time. Well, he and Bucky used to. They’d carry out missions from the king, hunting down thieves and criminals, or delivering important messages to neighboring kingdoms, they always worked as a pair. It felt odd riding alone in the dark on Harley. Usually, he would hear the second sound of hoofs coming from Bucky’s horse, Alpine. 

The knight saw the village lights first. Scattered lanterns on a post at the end of the trail were present, though they didn’t give off that much light. Steve still took his own latter and kept it lit.

As he continued his approach, Steve realized that Fury wasn’t joking in any manor. This village was desolate. Half of the cottages, and buildings just seemed abandoned, and the ones that weren’t were just barely standing up straight. 

He stopped Harley at an old inn. The only way Steve would’ve known it was even functioning was the “good tidings” sign in the lit window. It wasn’t the most glorious of accommodations, yet it would do.

Steve tied Harely to a post, petting his nose, before grabbing his pack and entering the building. It had two floors, and wasn’t very large, but who was he to complain. The door creaked open, and right once he entered the room did he smell the pungent scent of alcohol and tobacco coming from the tavern.

For a second, he grimaced, before walking up to the bar, where a middle aged man was serving liquor to an elder fellow. 

“Excuse me, sir,” he started, and the innkeeper looked up at Steve.

“What can I do ya, mate?” he asked.

“Room and board, thank you.”

The man looked at him almost skeptically, before shrugging, “That’ll be 12 pence for ya horse, fifteen for you.”

Steve dug through his bags before he retrieved the tokens, and handed it to the man’s outstretched hand.

“What ye’ doing here anyways? Never seen a man like you come through these parts.”

“Just staying a few nights for rest before I continue my passage, that’s all.”

“Pft,” the man scoffed. “Don’t buy it for a second! Ye’ even got the King’s coat eh’ arms on your satchel!”

Fury said to keep his knightly status on the down-low, especially in the impoverish villages. Let’s just say they didn’t take to the King quite nicely. So, when this man brought up the King’s coat of arms, and the royal seal, Steve couldn’t help but look alarmed.

“As long as ye’ don’t report no nonsense to that highness of yours, you’ve got your stay. Just try to keep that seal hidden, ye’ hear me mate? Could get mugged because of that treachery.”

Steve just nodded, and took the key that the man had given him. He wasn’t worried about getting mugged. Heck, he was best fit to defend himself. Steve was mostly worried about the spread of talk around the village. If he was identified as the King’s knight, and the Romanova Princess was present in the village, her captors could relocate her, and he’d be left without a lead.

He realized he needed a cover. It was already too late to hide the royal seal, but if he explained that he was just a lowly servant to the King, delivering a message, then the villagers may not presume him a threat, and neither the princess’ captors.

And then there was the challenge of even finding the princess. The streets seemed abandoned and unpopulated, even for a desolate town. There were few cottages, and Steve assumed he could sweep the entire village within a day, or even a few hours. But if it were that easy, the knights would’ve found her ages ago.

What did she even look like now, anyways? Her hair would probably still be that striking red he remembered. And her eyes that glorious green (which he only got glimpses of from time to time). But her height, her stature, all her other features that could’ve changed over the years. The last he had seen her she was 13, now she was 22. A lot can change in nine years.

Steve decided he would worry about those details the next morning. Tonight, he just needed rest.

***

No luck. Absolutely no luck. This village was the least populated one Steve had ever encountered. In a matter of hours, he had knocked on every residence and was only met with starving families or struggling businesses. He didn’t care if he made his presence known anymore, he needed to find this princess. And so far there was no hope.

Every single person whom he had asked, said that they hadn’t known a girl with red hair in this entire village. That was a problem. Steve ended his day in defeat, and in the tavern, with a strong drink in his hand.

Nobody talked to him, not like there was anyone to talk to. Only two other men were seated in the room, each nursing their own drinks and walloping in their sorrows.

“Sir,” Steve called over the innkeeper, now realizing he hadn’t asked him if he’s seen the girl with the red hair. If anyone would’ve met a foreign visitor, it would’ve been him.

“Yea?”

“Have you seen a lady with red hair pass through here lately?”

The man stopped, and thought for a moment. “Now that ye’ mention it, I remember a girl with red hair. Only a glimpse of er’. I was sweepin on da’ porch, and she just crossed de’ road and kept walking. Last I ever seen of any gal with red hair. It was hidden under a cloak, but ye’ could tell her hair was red. It had that look to it.”

So maybe the tip was correct. Yet a girl with red hair passing through could be probable. It was a rare color, but not THAT rare. He knew about three other women who had similar shades to Natalia’s, and that was just among the maids and servants.

“Now, tell me this,” Steve responded. “Are there any other villages nearby? Settlements that could be of walking distance?”

“Oh, no no,” he shook his head violently. “There is a larger town only a few miles north of here, yet most definitely not walking distance.”

“If it’s a few miles, that should be considered walking distance, correct?”

The innkeeper just laughed.

“Well, lad, that’s if you go the shortest and direct route, which is through the Maledictus Forest. But you cannot cross through there. There, there is dark magic. Witches live there, evil beasts live there. We do not dare to enter their territory. The last time we did, our village was destroyed, according to legend that is.”

Steve scoffed, “That’s only children’s stories. There is no such thing as dark magic, or witches or evil beasts.”

“That is where ye’ are wrong. These stories are very true. For your livelihood, I say you take the Naporia passage. It’ll take a good day or two, yet tis much better than dying in the forest, or worse, being cursed,” the man explained pointedly. 

Steve retreated to his room that night, still thinking of the innkeeper’s words. He wanted to shrug off the idea of magic or a “cursed wood”, and take the direct route to get to the town quicker, yet something about what that man had said stuck with him. It was as if his gut was directing him, telling him to take the long route. That it wasn’t worth the risk to take the shortcut.

So, the next day, Steve gathered his things, left the inn and village of Caerleon, riding Harley on the Naporia trail. His gut had won out.


	4. The Girl with the Green Eyes and the Cottage in the Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Maledictus Forest was based off of the Black Forest (in Germany). Search up some pictures if you want to get a better visualization.

The innkeeper was right, the journey did take Steve about two days to complete, even with Harley moving at a gallop for the majority of the time. Eventually, though, he did make it to the neighboring village, which he found be to called “Aeredale”. 

Aeredale seemed to be the complete opposite of Caerleon. It was full of life, populated to the brim, with people just milling about even at the nightly hour he had arrived. It too was situated right on the edge of the Maledictus forest, and a river coming from it flowed straight through the town.

It wasn’t hard to find an inn, one that looked to be in much better shape than the scrap of a building in Caerleon. After getting Harley situated in a stable, and purchasing himself some dinner from a tavern down the road, he found himself staring at the map, as well as the other papers Fury gave him, on his bed. 

The description hadn’t gotten any more detailed from when he had read it last, and the other information wasn’t of much use to him. Yet, Steve had a feeling she would be here, in Aeredale. If he was her captors, where else would be a perfect place to disappear with a kidnapped princess than a largely populated town right near the boarder of the kingdom? Not to mention, it was next to a “cursed” wood, and that the village was just barely on the map. It could be overlooked easily. 

Now finding the princess would be even harder. There were much more people populating this settlement. Just from beginning his scout in the town earlier that night, he discovered that there was a set of small sister villages off to the east, which were technically part of Aeredale, yet considered their own town. 

Steve looked to the description of the princess once more. He thought back to when he had last seen her. The memory wasn’t the most vivid, and he when he had seen her, the looks were only taken in short glances. But Steve needed something for people to reference. He needed something for himself to reference.

He took a blank piece of parchment, and his charcoal pencils, then began to sketch. He sketched what he thought she would look like now. Older, more matured in *that* sort of way, hair would probably be longer, still a glorious shade of red (which he could only imagine while sketching in black and white), but her strands would be curly, slightly curly if anything. No, that’s not the best way to think of it. Wavy! That’s it, he sketched her hair as wavy, yet not frizzy. Her hair never frizzed. Now for the facial features. First, he focused on the eyes. Steve actually could recall her eyes well enough. Their expression was usually neutral whenever he had seen her, yet they were still mesmerizing as ever. Her nose would be small, petite in a way, and her lips decently plump, yet not enough to draw the attention away from her eyes. Hands, dedicate and meek, and her arms poised. The dress he depicted was simplistic, and plain. Something a normal villager would wear, not a princess. He imagined that her captors would try to make her fit in. 

Steve looked at the sketch he had completed. He was satisfied with his work. It actually could look like her! But that was only a guess from his imagination. The next day, he knew what his plan to action would include. 

He would scout the area, retreat to largely populated places, such as a market place or tavern, to see if he could spot anyone similar to the description, and finally, he would ask around the village if or if not they had seen a woman similar to the one he drew. 

Learning from his first mistake, of carrying the royal seal, he found some common clothes that made him look much more like a villager and less like a royal knight. If her captors found that another knight was looking for the princess, they might flee before Steve can even grasp a lead.

Yet, for that night, all Steve wanted was some rest. He went to bed shortly after creating his plan, and slept soundly through the night.

***

A week. A full week and Steve still hadn’t found anything. Some days he would just walk through the markets. Others, he took day trips to the small villages on the outskirts of the town. Even after asking anyone would pay him any heed if they had seen a girl similar to the one he drew, he still didn’t have a lead.

And when that week turned into two, he was beginning to lose hope. Maybe there was no luck in finding her. Maybe she was already dead. Nobody recognized the girl in the drawing, and nobody in the village looked quite like her. The redheaded women in the village seemed to have hair of a lighter color (making their hair more of an orange, than a brilliant red). And if he did run into someone who seemed to fit the description, they always had blue or brown eyes, never green. Natalia always had green eyes, he knew it for a fact.

It had been two weeks and four days when Steve eventually came across something, or rather someone. He was walking leisurely through the marketplace, heading to a small stand that was selling breeches (he needed a new pair anyways), when somebody bumped into him. The “somebody” was a lady wearing an ivy green gown and a matching (yet darker shaded) cloak. She had fallen backwards onto the ground, and Steve was quick to help her up.

“I’m sorry miss, I didn’t see you there,” he explained, reaching for her hand, but before he could even help her up, she was on her feet.

She didn’t respond, just looked at him for a quick glance before hurrying away, still with a quick pace.

That look was all Steve needed. Those eyes. It was her eyes. He recognized them immediately. He couldn’t see if her hair was red or not under the cloak, but he would bet his best coin that it was.

Quickly, Steve began to follow her, at as safe distance, yet she was fast. She navigated the alleyways and populated streets as if she knew them by the back of her hand. Through a populated bakery, into a church, stopping at a small shop, then picking up the pace again while clamoring up a set of cobblestone stairs, and finding her way onto another path. 

Eventually, Steve found himself following her to the edge of the village, with only a few buildings nearby. She paused, and looked behind her, causing Steve to stumble back into an alleyway. 

He planned to stay there until he heard the sound of her footsteps again, yet he then realized, that during that whole chase, her feet never made a sound. She was wearing boots, he saw them! Yet still, she moved silently.

When Steve looked back around the corner he found her gone.

Darn him! He looked frantically about, peering down the nearby backroads and popping his head into the few buildings within reach, yet she wasn’t anywhere to be found.

He scanned the horizon. Maybe she was heading towards the trail that headed up to the sister villages?

Only a second later did he see it. Her dark green cloak trailing behind her as she walked through the tall grass. She was walking towards the forest. The “cursed” forest.

In that moment, Steve forgot all about what the innkeeper had said to him all those weeks before. He needed to retrieve this princess. He needed to follow her before he lost sight of her again. So he did. Steve trekked up the slight hill, until he was at the edge of the forest. 

As he entered the wood, immediately he felt himself shiver. It was mostly from the cold temperature due to the thick canopy, but there was something else too. An icy feeling that ran down his spine. But he simply ignored it, instead quietly following the green cloak, and keeping his sights on the princess at all times.

The forest was dark, and the ground moist (probably from not getting enough sunlight). It was densely populated with a variety of trees, some of which Steve could recognize. Pine, redwood, oak, beech, and elm, yet the most common he saw were the different types of evergreens. He tried his best to move through the forest silently, yet with how many twigs and branches covered the floor, it nearly made it impossible. How was she still walking quiet as ever? He felt that he was close enough to her to at least hear her footsteps in the dirt.

They walked for a good while, until something came into view: a small cottage. So this is where she was going. Nobody said anything about people living in the woods. Suddenly, the thought came over Steve, as well as a realization. What the innkeeper said: witches and beasts. Dark magic. Nobody ever talked about the possibility of somebody living in the forest, because it was the Maledictus Forest. If anybody would live here, it would be a witch. A witch, or maybe the captors that kidnapped the princess!

No, it actually made sense. Nobody would search the cursed woods for her. Not the townspeople, and probably not the knights either. It was the perfect place to keep a kidnapped princess.

Steve watched from behind a thick redwood as the woman entered the cottage, and slowly closed the door behind her. 

This was his chance. His only chance. He had followed her this far already, so there was no turning back now (even if the innkeeper was right and this was a cursed wood). Quietly, Steve drew his sword, and slowly opened the door.

It made a creaking sound, and Steve cringed at it. Oh well, I guess his presence would have to be made known. He entered the cottage, then closed the door behind him. To his surprise, it seemed as if nobody was there.

He scanned the room; the single room that supplied a burning fireplace, a thin mattress, a table littered with books and kitchenware, and a cabinet that held who-knows-what. That was all. Not a single soul in sight. 

That wasn’t right. Steve swore he saw her enter the cottage. But where was she? As he looked around the cottage, gazing out the small window above the table, out of nowhere, somebody pinned him to the wall.

He couldn’t even grab his sword before it clattered to the ground, out of reach. Steve looked up, frightened, only to be met with those emerald green eyes, and a dagger to his throat.


	5. Making the Deal

“Give me one reason not to slit your throat open right this second,” she demanded, only to press him harder into the stone wall. Her strength surprised him. She easily had him overpowered.

“Please, I don’t mean to hurt you! Once you let me go I can expl-” Steve tried to say, but was only met to another forceful push, and the edge of the knife grazing his skin.

“Why are you here? Why did you follow me?” she questioned with another push. Her movement caused for the hood of her cloak to fall off her head, revealing her hair. Wavy scarlet red hair tied back in an elegant braid.

“It’s you,” Steve breathed. Her eyes immediately met his with alarm, only causing her to pierce the knife deeper into his skin. He winced at the pain it caused. But even so, he continued, “You’re the lost princess.”

Her eyes widened, and she let go of him, like he was as hot as embers. Steve fell against the wall, gasping for breath. This wasn’t the girl he remembered. Not the shy, pretty poised princess who walked to the garden everyday. That girl wouldn’t have carried a dagger with such finesse, or pushed a trained knight against a wall in a threatening manor.

He watched as she slowly walked away from him, her back turned as she knelt down onto the ground. When she turned around, his sword was in her hands, and immediately, he backed away. Her lips curled up slightly at his response. It was the closest thing he got so far to a smile.

“You’re a knight. My father sent you,” she stated, looking down at the sword in her hands. It could’ve been posed as a question, yet she already knew it was a fact. “Hasn’t searched for me in the past nine years.”

“He tried,” Steve responded, while bringing his fingers to his neck. He felt a little bit of blood, but not anything that would leave any permanent damage.

The Princess just shook her head and scoffed. “He wouldn’t be searching for me unless he wanted something. I’ve already given enough.”

“He wants you home. I’m here to bring you home,” Steve added, while taking a step forward. He knew very well that she could probably kill him right there. Well, maybe not. She may be good with a dagger, but with a sword? He could probably maneuver her swings. Still, he didn’t want to exactly find out how skilled she was with this weapon.

“I don’t have a home,” she responded, handing him back his sword while twirling her dagger between her fingers. She moved across the room, finding a towel and a bucket of water before handing it to him.

He took it gratefully, still not sure if he could trust her, he just held it in his hands. She nodded to him, and it seemed genuine. In his heart, he found a new sense of trust, or at least to the point that she wasn’t trying to poison him.

“Yes you do, the…”

“The castle isn’t my home,” she interrupted.

She took a seat in the only chair located by the table, yet made it known that she still hand her dagger in her hand. Her position may not seem threatening in any way, but Steve made no mistake to remind himself that she was lethal. How did she become so… skilled? 

“My father only wants me back to be their heir, since he hasn’t got a son. Isn’t that true? When the knights had searched before, my captors kept me hidden. They haven’t searched for years, nearly a decade, but now here you are. It’s only because they need me. They never wanted me, nobody does,” she finished with a shrug.

“You don’t know how your father reacted when you were gone. When you were taken,” Steve defended. That made her face turn stern and she gave him a death glare.

“And how did you know how my father reacted? Last I checked, you were no older than fifteen the year I was taken, Steven Grant Rogers.”

Steve was stunned. She knew exactly who he was. For a moment his mind when blank and he just stared at her. How did she remember? Nine years passed, and she knew his name? They hadn’t even shared a conversation in their life.

“Don’t act so surprised. I notice more things than you think,” she said, almost unamused. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I may have eavesdropped onto the conversation,” Steve eventually admitted, after getting out of his stunned state.

“Hm,” she mused over the idea, though sarcastically. “If your mother went missing. If she was declared to have fallen victim to a raptus, would you have stopped searching?”

Steve knew the answer immediately. No, of course he wouldn’t. He would’ve searched every day to find her. If he was a king, he would’ve sent all his best guardsmen out and conducted a manhunt. 

“Exactly,” she murmured, then got up out of her seat, grabbed her cloak and put it on over her head. “If I were you, I would return back to the castle, admit you had no luck and just leave me be. Forget we even met.”

As Natalia headed towards the door, Steve stepped in front of her, and grabbed her wrist; stopping her from leaving.

“No, I can’t do that. I’d be lying to the King.”

“Then lie. You think he hasn’t?”

“No, but I have orders to follow.”

“And you’re just so righteous.”

“I need to bring you back. I must.”

Now the princess just scoffed, “I see. You’re in his favor and you wish to keep it that way.”

“No, you’re in danger and I wish to save you,” he clarified. Honestly, Steve expected that when he would finally find Natalia, she would want to leave. She would want to escape. She would want to go home. She would be thankful that he had saved her from her captors. Yet none of that was happening.

“Save me from what?” she questioned.

“You’re captors.”

She chuckled to herself, and sighed, “There are no more captors.”

“What do you mean?” Steve asked. Only now realizing, as she shook her wrist free, that he was still holding it.

Her face then became serious, “I killed them.”

She…? She did what? How? Why hadn’t she returned? Why was she in the woods? For how long was she free? Free to come home? Free to be known? Steve was confused. Utterly, completely, downright confused. 

It must’ve shown on his face, because she just sighed again.

“I’ve told you, I don’t want to go back.”

“I can’t go against my orders.”

“So I have no choice? You’ll just take me against my will?” she questioned.

“I don’t mean you any harm, princess. I just can’t…”

“Don’t you dare call me that again,” she snapped.

“Alright, I don’t mean you any harm, Natalia. Yet, I am not permitted back until I have found you or your body. If I return empty handed, they’ll just send another knight out for you. They’ll interrogate me, and,” Steve admitted, “I’m not exactly the best liar. They’ll see through my facade easily.”

“Makes me wonder how you became a knight,” she said, almost to herself, while still standing only a foot away from the door. Steve was the only thing stopping her from leaving.

“Knights are supposed to be honorable, and be truthful. I swore it in the oath,” he countered.

“Hm,” Natalia just sighed, and eventually stepped away from the door. She instead began to walk around the room, tending to the fire, closing the open books, and placing different clothes and items into a satchel. “If I must return back to the castle, give me one week.”

“One week?” now Steve was only becoming more confused. He had just found her, letting her roam free for a week? That’s more like a chance for her to escape his watch.

Again, as if the princess could read his thoughts, she explained. 

“Well, you wouldn’t have to let me out of your sight, if you must be that way. But I want one week of freedom before returning to the castle,” she explained. She took the books she had closed, and put them too into the satchel.

“Freedom?”

Natalia paused mid-packing, and took a moment just to look at him. He felt something under her gaze, yet he didn’t know exactly what. Her eyes didn’t seem upset, they held a more… saddened look to them. But it was hard to gauge her emotions when she mostly kept her face calm and neutral. 

“Court is restraining,” she began to explain, “and I don’t wish to become a queen. If anything, it would’ve been better if you had never found me. Better for everyone. I had never made a good princess. Who would even think I’d make a decent queen?”

“That’s not true. You were a fine princess.”

She glanced at him again, only for a moment, before her lips curled into a slight smile. It seemed nearly genuine if it wasn’t for the look in her eyes. That same saddened look. 

“You think that because you’ve never really met me, yet. Time will show you the truth.”

Natalia took her satchel, slung it across her chest, then put on her cloak and stood right in front of him, like she was waiting for his command.

“You’ll go with me if I give you a week?” he clarified.

“Does it look like I have any other options?” she muttered in response.

Steve shook his head. Commander Fury and King Ivan would be upset that the mission would include another setback and delay, but Steve decided it was worth it. She seemed to be going willingly. Willingly enough anyhow.

“Alright, let’s go then,” Steve nodded, and began to open the door.

“Wait!” she suddenly flung herself in front of him and stopped him from opening the door.

“Wha..”

“Sh!” Natalia shushed him.

“What?” he whispered this time.

“The Volk prowls at this hour. We have to wait,” she explained under hushed tones.

“The what?”

“A werewolf.”

The innkeeper was right. There were beasts in this wood. That could only make Steve question who this princess really was. A witch? Could she be? Was somebody shifted to look like her? Another person in her body, so when he returned with the “princess” to the castle, she would bring chaos and destruction to the kingdom once she started her reign?

But somehow she knew his name. Somehow, he felt the need to trust her. And if she was a person disguised as the princess, she would’ve made herself known sooner. She would’ve returned to the castle. She would’ve been willing to go with him.

Steve decided to trust her. As both their backs were against the door, sitting quietly as the sound of heavy paws moved around outside of the small cottage, he trusted her. He just hoped she would eventually trust him.


	6. Returning to Aeredale

“Why is it still outside? You said it would leave minutes ago,” Steve whispered. They had been seated on the cold floor for over ten minutes, listening to the sound of the large wolf outside. It was close, close enough that Steve could clearly hear its breathing and movements.

“It smells your scent. It knows you’re here,” Natalia whispered back.

“And what about you?” he asked, stealing a glance at her; though her cloak was drawn over her face, so he couldn’t easily see her features. 

“The Volk doesn’t like outsiders,” was her response.

Steve waited for further explanation, yet it never came. He tried to make sense of her words. “Outsiders”. He was an outsider. Was she not?

He wanted to ask her just that, but instead kept his lips sealed. He knew that if he asked too many questions, it would drive her away. And he needed to earn her trust. 

It took three more minutes of waiting before Natalia declared that the coast was clear. By then, the sun was setting, though it felt like it was already night in the forest. But Natalia didn’t seem phased, just grabbed a lantern off of the hook that hung on the wall by the door, and walked forward.

He followed closely behind, trusting that she knew her way out of the forest. The sun eventually set, and a new layer of darkness settled on the cursed wood, bringing new sounds with it. Steve nearly jumped at the sound of a twig breaking, only to find it was caused by his own feet.

“Can you walk any louder?” he heard Natalia muttered from up ahead. 

“Well, I’m sorry. I’m not used to walking through cursed woods,” he grumbled back.

“At least don’t spook yourself over something that won’t do you any harm,” she countered.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Since he couldn’t see her face, he imagined that she smirked at his remark. Or maybe rolled his eyes. Possibly both. One thing he had learned from being with her for just an hour or so, was that she had a unique sense of humor that incorporated sarcastic remarks and smart quips that most might take as offensive. But Steve just found that it made him smile, or even blush, whenever she made a sarcastic quip. And now he was even countering with his own remarks. If only Nick Fury heard the way he was talking.

Eventually, they reached the edge of the wood, and headed towards the main village. Natalia walked the path with a sort of comfort only one who was raised in the town could hold. He noticed especially when they were walking through the forest, that she didn’t jump at the different sounds and creaks. She didn’t look around worried or scared. She walked like it was her’s. Like it was her territory.

Maybe that just came with being the King’s daughter, though this was different than even the King’s walk. Steve just couldn’t exactly pinpoint it yet.

“Where’re you staying then?” she asked once they reached the village’s premise. Already it was more populated, and the sound of spontaneous discussion and chatter from open taverns and shops echoed through the cobblestone streets.

“York Inn,” he responded.

“Then I assume your things are there. Let’s retrieve them, and then leave,” she stated.

“Leave?” Steve stopped walking, causing her to stop too. They were in the middle of quiet street that had clusters of houses squished together on either side. “Already?”

“You’re not the one making the decisions anymore, my knight. Unless you wish to let me continue this journey on my own,” she explained, leaving no room for argument. “Though we should grab something to eat before we set off. I know a place for that.”

Natalia turned to leave, not even waiting to hear Steve’s response, which only aggravated him more. He didn’t admit it, but she was right. He wasn’t in charge. He made that mistake the moment he gave her a “week of freedom”. Either then, or when she put the dagger to his throat. The important fact was that now he was following her bidding. 

Before she could get out of sight, he caught up to her. Though, now knowing the color of her cloak, it wasn’t too hard to miss. It was vibrant compared to the plain brown and tan tones that the rest of the villagers wore. The fabric reflected the moonlight in a way that created a sort of glimmer. And a glimmering green wasn’t too hard to miss.

He followed her blindly, just making sure he could keep her in his sights, before realizing where she was leading him. She was taking him to the inn. 

“Here’s the place,” she shrugged, standing right outside of the two story building. Steve nodded.

“I’ll return in ten minutes. Should be enough time for you to pack?”

“What? No, I’m not going to let you…”

“Relax, I’m not leaving you behind. Can you trust me just this once?” she said smoothly.

Steve thought for a moment. Could he trust her just this once? It wasn’t like Steve was in control anyways, not anymore.

“Fine. Ten minutes,” he sighed.

Natalia gave him a slight smile, followed by a curt nod, before leaving back into the crowd. This time when Steve looked around the decently busy street, her green cloak was nowhere in sight. 

He really hoped he made the right decision in trusting her. Even if it was just this once.


	7. Beginning the Journey

Ten minutes, she was there, waiting, just like she said. A breath of relief escaped Steve’s lungs, and he was just grateful that she had followed through. Though, she wasn’t standing alone. A black stallion was at her side, fully equipped with reigns, a saddle, bridle, and saddle bags. 

“Where did you find this horse?” he asked, emerging from the inn with his bags packed.

“Who would I be to not have a horse?” she asked back.

He just stood there, admiring the beautiful animal in front of him. Stallions could be temperamental. Steve learned that when he was breaking Harley in. Though, unlike Harley, this horse wasn’t phased by the noises of the crowded streets, and stood calmly beside Natalia as she stroked his nose.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” he explained. “Do you mind if I leave my bags here?”

“I’ll be sure they don’t get stolen,” she nodded.

Steve left his things in front of the inn, in Natalia’s care, as he headed towards the stable where the horses were kept. He found Harley without problem, and tipped the stable boy generously. Once saddling him up, Steve led Harley by the reigns out onto the street and towards where Natalia was standing with her own horse (he still didn’t know his name).

“Ready?” Steve asked after attaching his bags onto the saddle. 

“The question really is, are you?” she questioned back, already settled on her horse.

Steve didn’t respond, just chuckled lightly as he mounted Harley and, once again, followed Natalia’s lead.

***

She stopped at a tavern on the outskirts of the village. It was crowded enough that you could hear the commotion from outside of the building, though Natalia didn’t seem phased by it one bit.

Nimbly, she got off of her horse, and tied his reigns against one of the posts. Taking only her satchel with her, not worrying about the rest of her saddle bags, which didn’t have any sort of lock.

“Don’t worry, anyone leaving this tavern would be too drunk to steal,” she assured him. Though Steve didn’t want to take any chances, and grabbed his bags.

As they entered the tavern, Steve looked around cautiously. Saying that it was rowdy was an understatement. You could barely hear the middle aged blonde woman playing the fiddle over all the chatter. Yet Natalia didn’t seem a bit phased. She moved through the crowd with ease, until she came to the bar.

Steve didn’t hear what she had said to the plump lady working behind the bar, yet she gave him a curt nod to walk over to her. 

Not even five minutes later, that same lady handed Natalia two steaming bowls fo some sort of creamy soup. Natalia thanked her kindly, then looked around the tavern, searching for an empty seat or table, yet there seemed to be none to be found. 

“Let’s go,” she spoke into his ear loudly, loud enough for him to hear over all the noise. He felt her breath on his ear, and it sent tingles down his spine. The reaction surprised him. Steve had never felt something like that before, and he wasn’t exactly opposed to it either.

He followed her once again, as she navigated the populated tavern. He didn’t know how she did it, crossing through the crowd while still balancing two bowls of who-knows-what.

Eventually, he found himself at the entrance again, with the noise of the tavern dim and quiet.

“What are we…?”

“It’s too crowded in there. I can’t even spot a seat. I know a better place we can go,” she explained, while walking down the street.

“And they’ll just let you take the food?”

“I paid for it.”

“And the bowls?”

“Nothing they won’t miss.”

Steve still gave her a judgmental look.

“I tipped well,” was her response, followed by a shrug, as she made her way through the streets until they came across an empty marketplace square.

“Here,” she handed him a bowl, and kept the one of her own. Natalia sat on the edge of the fountain that was in the center of the square, and sipped on the stew inside.

“What is this?” Steve asked, curious, as he too took a sip with his spoon.

“Only the best chicken stew I’ve ever tasted. The meals in the castle don’t compare,” she explained.

“And you remember that?”

“My captors didn’t wipe my mind, if that’s what you’re asking,” she sighed. “I remember a lot of my life from before. Some good memories, yes.”

“There were bad ones?”

“How ignorant are you? Of course there were bad ones. Life in the castle isn’t perfect,” she snapped.

Steve looked at her as she spoke. Her eyes didn’t look at his own, but were instead focused on the ground. Her body language seemed closed off, yet her face still kept its neutral expression. Even so, Steve felt immediately guilty. Who was he to make assumptions of her life? He just thought, after being kidnapped and all, that the memories from the time before that trauma would be perceived as good. At least then she was with her family. 

They ate in silence for the rest of the meal. And rode in silence for the rest of the night. Just by her off-putting attitude, Steve realized he had struck a cord, offended her in a deeper way than he could understand. And by the looks of it, she wasn’t going to open up to him any time soon. Not that night at least. 

“Are you sure we should be traveling at night? We can set up camp, if you’d prefer,” he offered after an hour or so of their horses trotting on the thin dirt trail. 

“We can’t stop yet,” she stated, not bothering to explain further.

“Why?” Steve questioned and glanced at her, yet her cloak was pulled to far over her head for him to gauge her expression, not to mention the light from her lantern was beginning to dim.

“It’s not safe yet.”

“Not safe?”

“Yes, that’s what I said,” she sighed. “We’ll be near a decent clearing in forty minutes or so. We can set up camp there.”

“No, I want to know why it’s not safe,” Steve pressed, while he urged Harley to trot faster, so they’d be side by side. Still, Natalia didn’t look at him, only ahead. Again with her neutral expression, Steve could read her as well as he could read Latin (and believe me, he couldn’t read a lick of Latin. But he did grow up as a common boy, in his defense).

“Please, I don’t wish to explain.”

“But I wish to know!”

“SH!” she shushed him. 

Steve immediately shut up, still a bit surprised by her reaction. He wasn’t talking that loud. Not at all. His voice wasn’t much louder that his normal talk. But soon enough, as Natalia stopped, he realized she didn’t quiet him because she was annoyed with his chatter. No, there was something in the woods.

“Stay here,” she said. It was said with soft words, yet Steve still knew it was a command.

Natalia slid off of her saddle, and landed softly on the dirt trail below them. She didn’t take her satchel, nor her horse, just the dagger attached to her hip. 

Steve did the same. There was no way he was going to let her wander near the woods alone at the dead of night. He too, got off of his horse, with his sword in hand.

When she turned to face him again, her face immediately showed an expression of confusion. Her eyebrows scrunched together, and her eyes gave him a glaring look.

“What’re you doing? I said stay here!” she chided.

“I’m not letting you go alone,” he argued.

“Yes,” she shook her head. “Yes, you will let me go alone.”

“You said you don’t want me to call you a princess, therefore I shan’t follow your commands,” he countered.

Her expression had now turned from confused, to annoyed, to exasperated in a matter of seconds. 

“Stay here if you know what’s good for you!” she said through gritted teeth. Her command was firm; and though it sounded like what he chose to do next was his choice, it most definitely was not. “Stay here, and don’t move! I’ll be back.”

He watched her stalk away, without a lantern, and her cloak flowing behind her. There was something in her walk, it was different than he had seen before. It seemed purposeful, powerful, and quick, yet not stealthy. Unlike in the village marketplace, she wanted to make herself known. That only worried Steve more.

What was she talking about? It not being safe? Telling him to stay there for his own good? He was a knight for God’s sakes! He’s the one that’s supposed to be defending her! If him staying back with the horses got her killed… the King would never forgive him. And, to be honest, Steve wouldn’t forgive himself. 

Sure she had pulled a knife on him earlier, almost killed him, but there was an unsaid understanding between them. They were tolerating each other, just barely yes, but still. And if anything, he was beginning to trust Natalia. She had saved his life nearly twice, and seemed to cared for him? Maybe? Okay, maybe she didn’t care for him, but how she looked at him more kindly now made him think differently.

She could handle herself, that much was said. But Steve couldn’t bare the thought of harm coming to her. So, against her command, he grabbed a lantern and took off in the direction she had gone.


	8. Finally Found

He couldn’t find her. She shouldn’t have gone far, yet she was nowhere to be found. No footsteps, no prints in the dirt or grass. Steve was an expert tracker, yet this part of the wood seemed untouched. 

He eventually reached the edge of the trail, where the forest began. Had she went in? She didn’t seem to be afraid of the said “curses” in the woods, yet still, would she be that stupid to go in at night?

Steve was going to take a step into the forest, when a bird swooped in out of nowhere. It was an elegant red bird, no larger than his hand, and it flew back in forth near his head, almost as if it was warning him, stopping him from continuing into the woods. 

“Alright, alright,” he said, swatting it away. “I’ll leave you alone.”

It was peculiar for a small red bird to be awake at this hour, perhaps he got too close to her nest. Yet still, all the animals should be sleeping. All the animals except the beasts that is. Steve just shrugged off the bizarre incident. This whole wood was abnormal, why should he expect the wildlife inside to be any different. Maybe he should just go back to the horses, like Natalia had asked.

Steve thanked his lucky stars when the two horses came into view. He was grateful they hadn’t ran off, and he was even more grateful to find the horses alone. No beast, and no Natalia. At least she couldn’t reprimand him on running off to find her, yet still he was worried. It had been nearly ten minutes, where had she gone?

When ten minutes turned into thirty, and thirty into sixty and sixty into ninety-five, Steve knew something had to be wrong. He had waited far long enough. He grabbed his sword, tied the horses onto a makeshift post, and headed back down the trail.

The sun was already rising, slowly, but surely. It’s bright golden hues were beginning to spread across the dark navy-blue sky, and the stars starting to fade away.

He wanted to take a moment to enjoy the sunrise, but he was distracted. The only thought that ran through his head was “Where’s Natalia?”. He didn’t even care that he was entering a cursed wood, he needed to find her. He had to! 

As if Steve’s silent prayers had been answered, he found her not even a meter away from the forest’s edge, kneeling in the dirt and breathing heavily. Her dress was askew and her cloak in her hands. She buried her face into the soft fabric, as if she was trying to quiet her breathing. To anyone else, it would look like she was crying, yet when she looked up, not a tear was on her face, her eyes weren’t bloodshot, but instead she looked pale.

“Natalia?” he asked, almost softly. He was scared she was going to yell at him, instead she quickly put on her cloak, then looked away.

“I told you to wait by the horses,” she said. He was expecting it to be strong, forceful, scolding even. But it sounded broken, almost hurtful. What had happened?

“And I wasn’t going to let you get hurt.”

She didn’t respond to that, just slowly stood on her feet and began to walk towards him, only to walk past him and back towards where the horses stood.

But before she could get far, Steve grabbed her arm, just like he had done in the cottage, yet with less force. It was soft and tender, but it stilled her movements just the same.

“I mean it, I was worried. You were gone for nearly two hours,” he said calmly.

“You should listen to me next time,” was her response. “Please listen to me next time. Promise me…”

“I can’t promise that, not when your life is in danger.”

He felt her stiffen under his grasp. He saw her eyes widen. It was just by a tad, but Steve could see it. A small breath had escaped her half-parted lips, and just the action made Steve’s insides churn. Almost alarmed with the new feeling, he let her go. Yet, she still stood there, as if he was still hold her arm.

They stood there for a moment, just staring, before she turned away and started walking again.

“You shouldn’t,” she said quietly, though loud enough for Steve to hear. “You shouldn’t care at all. It’s better that way.”

Steve followed her back towards the horses, yet he couldn’t get what she said out of his head. ‘You shouldn’t care at all?’ What was she implying? What was she even trying to say? The phrase befuddled him beyond belief.


	9. By the Fire

They set up camp the next night, only a few miles farther down the trail. There, as Natalia had promised, was a clearing where they could easily make a campfire and layout their mats.

It had already, technically, been two days since Steve had met Natalia, yet she was still just as, or even more of a mystery to him, than before. She rarely took off her cloak, and if so, she would let her hair flow freely, instead of in the braid she usually kept it in. That was something most wouldn’t notice, yet Steve was trained under Commander Fury. Nothing escaped his notice.

“Tell me something interesting about yourself,” she interrupted his thoughts, while sitting cozily by the fire, curled up into her horse. Steve still didn’t know his name. What he did know was that the horse was tame, tame enough to let Natalia rest on it.

“There’s nothing interesting about me,” he shrugged. “I’m just a simple knight.”

“I beg to differ,” she responded, while taking a sip of soup out of the wooden bowl they had stolen from the tavern. 

“Really, I’ve lived a common life. Was raised common, just by my mother. There’s nothing even close to interesting about my life,” Steve argued, taking a sip of his own at the soup. She had made it with herbs they had found along the trail, claiming they made a delicious broth, and they paired it with the bread Steve had brought on his journey. He found she was right, it was indeed a delicious soup.

“Then tell me about it. Tell me about your boring life,” she chuckled.

“No, time should be spent telling better stories,” Steve laughed with her, until he saw her face grow more serious. Her eyes found his, and immediately he stopped. That laughter had faded from her eyes, now replaced with a whole new expression he couldn’t pinpoint.

“Tell me then, why did my father choose you?” Natalia asked. “Out of all the knights, why entrust you in finding me? Entrust you to bring me back to the castle, presumably, unharmed?”

Steve sighed, “I don’t know.”

He then took a bite of his bread. Really, he didn’t. Perhaps skill, though many of the other knights were just as skillful. Sam, one of the newest knights, was by far the most skilled fighter he’d ever sparred with. There had to be another reason, and Natalia knew this too.

“Enough serious matters,” Steve changed the subject, dusting off his hands once he finished off his soup and bread. “What’s your horse’s name?”

“Liho,” she replied. 

“Liho?”

“Named after a devil that brings misfortune,” she added.

Steve didn’t know exactly how to respond to that. Just looked from the horse behind Natalia, and back to her. She laughed lightly at his reaction and then reached her hand up to pet the horse’s nose.

“Your’s is Harley, right? Named after what?” she asked, after a moment. She, too, finished off her soup and bread. 

“I didn’t get to name him. Was already named when he became mine,” Steve explained.

“Hm,” she nodded, “makes sense now.”

“What does?” 

“You didn’t break him in. That’s why he’s stubborn as ever,” she chuckled.

“No, I did break him in,” Steve defended.

“Then he’s go the stubbornness from you.”

“May I remind you, that you’re the one talking?”

“Fair enough,” she shrugged. 

A strong gust of wind blew through the air, causing for the fire to flicker and dance. The glow reflected upon their faces, and brought a new light to Natalia’s face that Steve didn’t think he’d ever see. It shone in her eyes, caressed her skin and added a new shine onto her red hair, which was hanging loosely over her back, and framing her cheeks. 

“I’m going to get some rest,” she announced, after a moment of silence, breaking Steve out of his trance. She stood from Liho’s side, and grabbed the rolled blanket that was attached to his saddle, unrolling it, and then laying down into the soft grass floor.

Natalia didn’t say ‘goodnight’ but gave him a soft smile that warmed him through, before closing her eyes and dozing off. Steve caught himself starring again, and immediately scolded himself. Was he forgetting all that his mother had taught him? He was being rude, and stalkish.

Yet Steve couldn’t help to admire the pure look of content on her face. How soft she looked resting. Soft, vulnerable, delicate and gentle. All the things she was not, yet here, as she slept, she looked innocent. Unharmed from all the evils he could only imagine was done onto her. 

She hadn’t deserved it. Any of it. He had heard the commoners talk, as he went to the marketplace with his mother. He heard them say she deserved it, her family deserved it. That it was God punishing them for their abusive rule. That it was justly right after what her father and grandfather had done to the common people. How could anyone wish that onto a young girl? Who knows what her captors had done to her, to the point that she killed them? That she turned to violence? That she’d know how to use a dagger with such skill? Steve could only imagine.

He went to sleep with those thoughts in his head. Thoughts of her. Many thoughts of her. Of the beautiful princess that slept not only a three feet away from himself. He knew so little about her, yet he felt like he knew so much. Just even the way she made him feel, was that normal? Most definitely not normal. But even if she felt something close to the same, nothing like that could ever happen.

‘No, you fool,’ Steve thought in his head. ‘Of course she wouldn’t feel that same. You’re the one forcing her to go back to the castle, you’re the one she wished she never met.’

He was a fool to even imagine such an idea.


	10. Feeling Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song: The Foxhunter by Celtic Women is the score I envisioned would be playing while Steve and Nat ride in the meadow. I definitely recommend you listen to it to get the full effect of the scene!

They packed up everything the next morning. Silently, they saddled their horses and were soon on their way.

After trotting slowly for nearly an hour or so, Natalia stopped. Liho, gave a little grunt and whine, as he came to a slow.

“Let’s go this way,” she said with consideration, motioning towards an open meadow that extended as far out as the eye could see. There was no trail, no forest or landmarks to keep track off. Nothing. Just grass and flowers of varying species.

“Don’t you have a destination you’re trying to get to? This could get us lost and off of course,” Steve explained, after slowing Harley to a stop. His stallion didn’t take it greatly, and neighed loudly.

“A week of freedom is spontaneous, Steve. We can do whatever we please, go wherever we like. Ride however we want. There’s no time stamp, no destination, none of that. We’re free. That’s the whole point,” she explained, with a shine in her eye, as if she was excited at even the prospect of what she was explaining. “And, for your information, my knight, I never get lost.”

Before Steve could even give an argument, she was off, trotting away towards the meadow.

“At least wait for me!” he yelled after her, snapping his own reigns and leading Harley after her.

Natalia only responded with a laugh, and continued to ride Liho through the meadow.

The smell was pleasant, fresh and sweet. The flowers, all of which were in bloom, brought a floral scent into the mix. As Steve kept Harley trotting through the tall grass and flowers, he could only think he was in heaven. Not a person in sight, other than Natalia of course. Not a worry clouded his mind. The sun shown through the sky, gleaming onto them.

When he looked up at Natalia, he could assume she was feeling that exact same warmth. Her eyes were bright with joy, her lips curled into a smile that seemed fully genuine. Like she wasn’t hiding a thing or masking an emotion. She let the hood of her cloak down, and set her hair free again (just how he loved it). The wavy red strands blew with the wind as she squeezed her thighs, causing Liho to gain speed, and turn his trot into a gallop. 

There was this fearlessness she exuded when Liho began the gallop. She became focused, calm, but couldn’t help let a laugh escape her lips. Steve followed in pursuit, sending Harley into a full gallop.

The feel of the wind blowing through his hair, rippling his clothes and whipping past his body was something that could never be replicated. He felt… Steve felt free. Fully, utterly, wholly free. 

He eventually caught up to Natalia, and gleamed at her with a wide smile, only to see her with her eyes closed, and arms raised. She balanced atop Liho, only with her legs, which Steve deemed nearly impossible, especially in her dress.

He wanted to comment on it. Make a remark on how she looked. How perfectly beautiful she looked. But he didn’t. She was feeling the freedom. She was feeling the air. 

Liho kept galloping, only faster and faster, and Natalia just smiled. She beamed. She glowed. Eventually, she opened her eyes again, only to be met with his; those green irises finding his own. At first she gave a look of surprise, which eventually morphed into a playful gleam. Her eyes narrowed, and she gave him a nod, a challenge. Who was Steve to back down?

Natalia faced forward, lightly gripping onto the reigns, and snapped them twice, with a gentle kick, causing for Liho to quicken his pace. Steve did the same, and soon enough, they were both engaged in a race.

She and Liho had the early lead, but there was no way he was going to let her get away with it. No, Steve leaned forward, squeezed Harley just a bit with his legs, and began to close the gap between them.

He saw her turn her head to look back at him, still just slightly ahead, and she, too, leaned into her stallion, and quickened his pace. Though, her lead was becoming short-lived, as Steve was soon enough by her side, and, eventually, ahead of the black stallion. 

Steve didn’t even know how long they would race for. Where was the end mark? Natalia hadn’t specified, and Steve didn’t know how much long Harley could keep this up. He had never really been the fastest horse, but instead had decent stamina (when t came to trotting). 

Just as Steve thought he had the lead, Natalia came up from behind, Liho still going steady. His dark black mane whipped it the air, nearly hitting Natalia’s face. Steve looked down at Harley, only for a moment, and when he looked up again, ahead of him was a head of auburn red hair, waving like a bright flame. 

Harley was beginning to tire, and Steve slowed him down, already knowing that the race was lost. Who was he to think that he would win against a black stallion? A strong one at that.

“What, you’re giving up already?” she laughed, turning Liho around and stopping right next to him. Harley panted, while Liho grunted playfully.

“You may have won that race, Natalia Romanova. But I assure you, the next is for you to lose,” Steve explained confidently, though, by the smile she gave him, as well as the roll of her eyes, she knew he was saying it comically.

“I think not. Liho can gallop for days,” she argued, still beaming and out of breath. Her wind-whipped face made her cheeks redden slightly into a soft rosy pink. It made his stomach flop, and immediately any response he had escaped his mind.

He just shook his head and chuckled in response, at a loss of words. In return, she gave him a knowing look, paired with a kind smile. 

“We should get back to the trail now, and then we can set up camp,” she explained, pulling the reigns just a bit for Liho to begin his trot.

“Natalia,” Steve said, before she could get far.

“Yes?” she stopped Liho’s trot.

“I think you’ve just shown me what freedom feels like,” he said, while letting out a shaky breath. It was adorned with one of the most radiant smiles Natalia had ever seen.

“You and I both,” she smiled back.


	11. The Markings

“You have Liho, why didn’t you leave Aeredale? Leave the Maledictus Forest and that tiny cottage, and go wherever you please?” he asked once they had set up camp, this time within the forest only a short walk away from a small lake.

The sun had already set hours ago, leaving them talking by firelight, like the night before. Steve had been skeptical about camping in the woods, but Natalia eventually convinced him, saying that there were no “beasts” on this side of the forest. In fact, she said it was very calm and quiet. 

“I don’t know,” she sighed, “I guess I was afraid.”

“I’m starting to believe you aren’t afraid of anything. I’ve never met someone like you, with your strength and courage,” Steve exclaimed, a bit shocked by her reaction.

He saw her blush slightly (yes, she had actually blushed, momentarily, but he caught it), covering it up by turning her head and letting her hair flow over her shoulders. Again, it wasn’t braided, instead hanging loosely just past her shoulders. She hadn’t braided it since their first meeting. 

“Well, not many take kindly to that said ‘strength or courage’,” she explained. “And I was safe from people’s thoughts there. I was invisible. Nobody could make assumptions of me that I couldn’t defend.”

Assumptions? What assumptions was she thinking of? Steve was confused by her response, as he had been with many of her other explanations to his questions.

“You’re afraid of rumors? Gossip?” he clarified. The words could seem harsh, like an accusation, yet his tone was nowhere near bitter. He asked the question with care, and genuine interest.

Her expression slowly morphed into that neutral, quiet and collected bearing, and her eyes didn’t seem to focus on him, or anything for that fact. It seemed as if she was staring into space.

“I’m not afraid of rumors or gossip, but what rumors and gossip can do to me,” Natalia spoke. Eventually, her eyes found his again, yet only for a second before she averted them away. “It doesn’t matter. Not anymore. I’ve left now, haven’t I?”

Steve nodded, somewhat solemnly. They fell into a new silence that was laced with tension, yet it wasn’t too hard to bear. The conversation formally came to an end with both of them dozing off to sleep with the sound of the crackling fire as their lullaby.

***

The next morning Steve awoke to a cold fire, and a grumbling stomach. 

“Ugh,” he groaned, stretching before rubbing his eyes. His blonde hair was askew, and he ran a hand through it to settle the tangles. Once searching through his packs, the knight realized two things. One, there was only two scraps of bread left. And two, that he needed a bath. A good one, and quickly. Hopefully there would be a village nearby complete with a bathhouse and a tavern that sold decent food. Maybe a restock of supplies was in order as well. 

As he turned to roll up his blankets, and begin to start the fire, Steve noticed one more thing. A thing he should’ve realized much earlier. Natalia was gone.

Well, Liho was still there, along with the rest of her things. Even her blankets were still on the ground, neatly folded and free of dirt and leaves. The only thing that seemed to be missing was her. Her and her satchel.

The need for food, and a shower had miraculously left Steve’s mind. Instead, he was persistent on finding her. This was her second disappearance on his watch. Two too many, if he had to be honest with himself. 

He looked back at the horses, and his things, deciding on whether or not to take his sword. If someone had taken her, it would be in need. If nothing had happened and she was pulling a silly prank, it would seem like he worried too much. Wait! Since when did he care what she thought of him? Apparently, he did, and that realization itself was a bit surprising to Steve. 

Against whatever eristic thoughts roamed in his mind, Steve grabbed his sword, as well as his shield, and began to walk deeper into the forest. With every snap, or hoot, or croak, he’d nearly jump out of his skin, and have his sword poised at the ready. 

After nearly five minutes of wandering aimlessly in the wood, he heard something. The sound of water flowing and splashing lighting. Quietly, yet not quiet enough to be missed. 

He turned the corner, walking through thick brush, before he came across a small lake. The lake Natalia had described. He had found the lake, yes, but not only that, he had found her.

Just as he had made his way through the brush, her head popped up from the water below. Her red locks became soaked through, sticking to her scalp and neck. Steve was immediately embarrassed. How dare he see her like this?! Even accidentally! It was an invasion of her privacy, that much was clear. Though, just as he looked away, something caught his eye. Something on her back.

Against his better judgement, he looked back at her. Natalia’s back was to him, and the majority of her body was still in the water, leaving nothing of “that” sort for him to see. But that wasn’t what caught his attention. No, it was the marks on her back.

At first, he thought it was a thick piece of moss, or a leech stuck to her back, yet no, it wasn’t that. They were marks. Swirls, intricate drawings etched onto her pale skin. As seconds passed, guilt filled Steve’s stomach. He hadn’t seen anything. Well nothing like most may assume, yet he had definitely seen something. Something she hadn’t shared with him yet.

Maybe he was imagining it. Maybe it was a shadow casted by the trees. Maybe it really was moss or dirt. Though, he had a feeling it wasn’t. Not at all. It was too dark, too perfect, too intricate to be made by mistake. Curse his artistic eye, but it looked like a sketch. A drawing. A tattoo.

That guilt stopped his train of thoughts and his artistic journey, forcing him to leave her be. He left the brush before he could get caught (and potentially killed, knowing her) for his trespass, and headed back to camp.

Steve tried to forget what he saw, those marks, yet he couldn’t. The thought of them stayed put in his head, a clear mental image he couldn’t be rid of no matter how hard he tried.

‘Maybe you should just ask her about it?’ his mind told himself. 

‘No!’ he argued. ‘She’s been hiding it for a reason. The cloak, the long sleeved dress, the hair being down instead of in a braid. She was hiding it, and she hadn’t wished to share it with me. I won’t ask.’

He didn’t ask. When Natalia returned from the lake, back into their makeshift camp, he acted as if nothing had ever happened. They packed their things, while exchanging friendly chatter, and were soon off on their way, riding their horses side by side on the trail.

The entire time, Steve pushed the thought of what he had seen into the back of his mind. Once again, trying to forget it the best he could. You can assume that was harder said than done.


	12. The Hunt

They spent a full day on the trail. They rode for a full ten hours, not stopping. Steve was hoping for a village to appear soon. They were running out of food, clean water and other necessities, plus, as Steve had expressed before, he needed a bath. When he brought this up, Natalia agreed, but further explained that it would take about two days of riding to arrive at the next village. 

“Do you have a bow?” she asked, out of nowhere. They were setting up camp earlier than usual that night, before the sun even set. 

“Yes, though I’m not any good at it,” Steve admitted, while unloading his packs and removing the saddle from Harley’s back. He dug through the saddle bags a few seconds longer before he found the bow and the few arrows he kept with it. 

Natalia swiftly dismounted from her horse, and took the bow and quiver out of his hands. Then, after also taking the saddle off of Liho, she headed towards the edge of the forest. The “never-ending” forest, Steve was beginning to call it. It seemed as if it had been with them during their entire journey. 

“What’re you doing?” he asked, as she began to trudge deeper into the wood, without warning.

“Finding us some dinner,” she shrugged.

“You know how to use a bow?” Steve questioned, now following her.

“Never used it before, but how hard can it be?” she quipped, turning her head towards him with a playful smirk, before turning back towards the woods, and navigating past the tree trunks.

“Natalia, I don’t think that…”

“Sh…” she quieted him, and then crouched down behind the nearest tree trunk.

Steve walked to her side, where she placed a finger to her lips, then pointed at a deer that was feasting on grass nearly fifteen to thirty feet away. Natalia took the bow into her hand, then pulled an arrow from the quiver, which was settled on her back.

“That’s far. Are you sure you can…”

Before Steve could even finish his sentence, Natalia aimed the air, and let it go. The sharp pointed weapon flung through the air, perfectly straight, and hit the deer directly in the chest. A kill shot. How in the world…?

“See, not too hard, my knight," Natalia interrupted his thoughts, and swung the bow back across her chest; then continued forward, heading towards the shot deer. 

She left him stunned in his tracks. There was no way that that had been the first time she shot an arrow. It would be impossible! She had to be joking, talking sarcastically like she always did. Though, even still, Steve had never seen anyone shoot an arrow with such precious. Well, maybe one person could shoot better, Bucky, though she most definitely came close.

“Are you going to help me, or just stand there?” he heard her call through the woods.

“Don’t worry, I’m coming, my lady,” he replied. Her laugh was her response.


	13. Tavern Dances and Songs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> n this chapter two songs are “featured”. The first is Granuaile’s Dance (by Celtic Women), which is the fiddle song that Natalia and Steve dance to. The second is Dúlaman (also by Celtic Women), which is the song that Natalia sings. I recommend you listen to both to really get the feel of everything I was writing. And I especially encourage you to listen to Dúlaman, because reading the lyrics is kinda confusing (especially since it’s all in Irish). I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for reading!

In another day’s worth of time, and another day of riding, Steve and Natalia eventually came across a village. It was of decent size, and had a comfortable inn, that was located above a tavern. To Steve’s delight, there was a bath house, and a large market that sold all the supplies they could need.

That night, Steve knocked on Natalia’s door. She had purchased her own stay, unsurprisingly. Though they had only slept a few feet apart for the past four nights, it wasn’t quite the same as sharing a room. Especially when most rooms only had one bed.

“Natalia?” he asked after knocking again.

Not even a second later, she opened the door, wearing a different dress and cloak than he’s never seen her in. It was a long sleeved dark purple dress, paired with a similar shaded cloak, both of which had black lace lining the hems. Half her hair was pulled back into a braid, while the other flowed down her back and over her shoulders. A leather belt was resting on her hips, that had a holster for her dagger attached to it. Of course, her and her dagger. The neckline of the dress was low, low enough for him to see a pendant necklace on her chest that he hadn’t seen there before (not like he was looking). The charm seemed to be an intricate hourglass, made of pure gold. Steve had seen pendants shaped like flowers or gems, but never an hourglass. It puzzled him. Just add that onto the layers of mysteries that made Natalia Romanova.

Steve forgot for a second what he was going to say, all thoughts leaving his mind. Instead he took in the image in front of him. It wasn’t the first time he wanted to sketch her, and it definitely wouldn’t be the last.

“What?” she asked, with her head tilting just slightly to the side. “Do I look terrible?”

“Quite the opposite, actually,” he murmured, and his voice sounded far too breathy to be natural.

“Good, let’s go then,” Natalia smiled coyly, while taking his arm. It seemed to warm instantly at the contact. 

She had held his arm, or tugged his hand before, yet every time she did it, his reaction was the same. He felt warmth pool in his stomach and a giddy feeling overcome him. The touch was noticeable, if you know what I mean. Like, he realized it instantly, felt it immediately. Like, her touch was stronger than any other he had felt before. And by now, he knew it by heart. Steve didn’t even have to look at her to know that she was the one dragging his arm to her side.

“Where?” he asked, as she pulled him down the stairs.

She turned her head back to face him, as she continued to walk through the tight hallway, giving him a playful smirk. 

“Where do you think?” she asked back, using both hands to pull him down the stairs. He heard the faint sound of fiddles, and drums becoming louder and louder as they continued forward. She could only be meaning one thing, the tavern.

“Isn’t it late?” 

“Stop being such a prick. Come on! It’ll be fun!” she argued. “And I think you’re in need of a drink.”  
Steve didn’t protest as she opened the wooden door. The smell of alcohol and bread, mixed with the sound of the fiddle music seemed to lift his spirits. Suddenly, he didn’t feel tired, nor exhausted. And when he looked to see Natalia already walking quickly with a spring in her step and a smile on her face, he couldn’t help but feel untroubled.

Like Natalia had said, she was quick to find him a drink, returning to him with a glass of ale (in which she took a sip of first). The tavern wasn’t too crowded, unlike in Aeredale, but still attracted a decent crowd. Old men sat at the bar drinking wine or ale or other liquors, while younger farmers feasted on cooked chicken and biscuits. A few ladies were present, either at the side of a man, or dancing with one. Three older looking men provided the music, one playing a fiddle, one playing a flute, while the other beat a drum, all of them singing occasionally.

Seated at a corner on one of the long tables, Natalia and Steve feasting on a well cooked pork-chop and mushroom stew. It was hard to talk over the music and chatter, so instead, Steve quietly enjoyed the music and the delicious food. The ale had made him loosen up, and feel much more relaxed, yet he didn’t drink enough to lose any of his wits. 

Natalia on the other hand, hadn’t had anything but a sip of his ale to drink, but she seemed as bubbly as ever. Her usually scarce laugh and smile was making regular appearances as she hummed with the music or talked with him over the sound of the string and percussion instruments, making remarks on anything and everything. 

When she saw a group of lads and ladies dancing near the center of the tavern, her eyes seemed to gleam, and she looked to him expectantly. Before she could even open her mouth, Steve knew what she was going to say.

“No,” he shook his head, once downing another sip of ale. “I don’t dance.”

“Liar. Everyone knows how to dance,” Natalia shot back playfully.

“Not me,” Steve presisted.

“What do you do during those extravagant banquets my father would throw? If you didn’t dance with a lady, then what did you do?”

“I… I just watch,” he stumbled, thinking for a moment. When he attended the banquets, he was hesitant in asking a lady to dance. Many offered to, yet since he didn’t really know how, he held back. He remembered the one time he did dance with a lady, she was a duchess from some countryside, her name was Sharon. Until he stepped on her toes, or forgot the steps to the carole, he was doing decently well (he assumed). Sharon was very kind about it, and excused herself gracefully, though Steve could tell he had made a horrible impression. He didn’t want to do the same to Natalia.

Again, he was wondering why he cared so much of what she thought of him. It wasn’t because she was the princess of Midguard, no there was something more. Steve just didn’t know exactly what. Or maybe he did, and he just didn’t want to admit it. 

“Just watch? You’re a bore,” she groaned, then stood up abruptly. Natalia outstretched her hand towards him expectantly. “Come on.”

Steve looked from her to her hand and back again, with a confused expression on his face.   
“I’m not taking no for an answer. Come on!” she said again.

“Alright, alright,” Steve sighed, and stood up slowly. He didn’t even have to reach for her hand before it was in his own. She had grabbed his, and was pulling him towards the center of the room.

The music was picking up. The drums beating at a faster pace, and the fiddler was starting another solo. The notes were quick, at a staccato tempo, and Natalia effortlessly started dancing to its rapidity. She took both his hands and began to swing him, while he tried to keep up. 

Steve stared at his feet, trying to copy her movements. Her feet would move and skip with an ease that seemed so natural, yet they were extremely complex. Just trying to match her pace was challenging, and he nearly tripped twice.

“Just move with the music. No formal steps. No coordinated dances. Just be,” she whispered in his ear when she had pulled him close. Their faces were nearly touching, and they were practically chest to chest. 

He nodded, and tried to “move with the music”, like she had said, though it was easier said than done. He was always a step behind her, his movements always too slow, and he felt utterly clueless.

“Stop focusing on your feet. That’s what’s messing you up,” Natalia added after a moment. “Just look at me.”  
He did, and once Steve’s eyes were on her’s it felt as if he couldn’t look away. Her emerald green eyes drew him in, took his fully, and exhibited a playfulness he hadn’t seen in them before. They were usually neutral or calm, and sometimes seemed sad. Yet right now, he saw nothing but joy.

Natalia continued to lead him through the dance as she skipped, and spun, and laughed. But Steve was getting the hang of it, and soon enough he was dancing just as good as her. Well, maybe not as good as Natalia, but a decent second to. 

The fiddler only upped the tempo of the last verse, creating an overwhelming musical sensation. All the dancers went berserk, moving quickly with the added pace and spinning in all directions. It was a miracle nobody crashed. 

Natalia had held both his hands, and they spun around once more as the music came to an end. And Steve found that he didn’t want it to end. That cacophony of erratic dancing mixed with the brisk music created a feeling he had never felt before. It felt good. It felt joyful, and again… free.

Everyone began to disperse while clapping for the elderly men that had played the music. Yet before he and Natalia could get to their table, one of the men motioned at her while he spoke.

“Beautiful lady! Can you sing?” he asked. Steve watched Natalia look around, almost embarrassed, but she didn’t let it show.

“Me?” she asked.

“Yes, my dear. You look like a lady who can sing us a song!” the man exclaimed. Other people around the tavern yelped or grunted in response. With all eyes looking to her, Natalia eventually seemed to give in.

She swung her hips (knowing exactly what she was doing to her new audience), as she walked towards the elderly men.

“Any song I chose?” Natalia questioned. Her voice was smooth and coy. Flirtatious even. The sound melted in Steve’s ears, and made his heart quicken. 

“Any song for a lady like you,” the man replied, trying to match her teasing manner. 

“Well then, I’ll sing for you,” she announced. “But only one song, since there is only one song I know.”

The three old men, one with the drum, one with a flute and the other with the fiddle nodded intently, waiting for her cue. 

The tavern suddenly became quiet, as if waiting for her command. You could hear a pin drop. She began without warning, and Steve wasn’t prepared for what he would hear. That was for sure. 

“A 'níon mhín ó, sin anall na fir shúirí,” she started, breaking the silence like an axe to a log. “A mháithairin mhín ó, cuir na roithléan go dtí mé"

Her signing was heavenly. Smooth, with a tad bit of rasp added on the end of each syllable. Natalia gave a coquettish expression while she sang.

“Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach,” Natalia continued. “Dúlamán na farraige, be'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn”

By then the musicians knew exactly which song she was singing, and the one holding the drum began a steady beat. The man with the flute entered in as well, while Natalia stood, silent for a moment, catching her breath.

"Tá ceann buí óir are an dúlamán gaelach. Tá dhá chluais mhaol are an dúlamán maorach.”

Her face was animated, and bright, changing as the lyrics went by. She began to move around with ease to the beat, first dragging Steve into a seat, then walking around aimlessly in the tavern. 

“Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach. Dúlamán na farraige, be'fhearr a bhí, be'fhearr a bhí. Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach. Dúlamán na farraige, be'fhearr a bhí, be'fhearr a bhí. Be'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn,” she sang what he presumed was the chorus. 

Steve didn’t understand one bit of what she was saying, yet that didn’t matter. He was enthralled. Her face was animated as she sang, and Steve had no doubt that she had captured every person in that room with her mesmerizing eyes, quick moves, and beautiful singing. 

“Da-da, di-den. Da-da, den-da-de-da-da. Da-den-de-da-di. Den-da-di-da-da-da,” Natalia hummed softly, turning from one person to another as she skipped her way through the tavern. 

Steve soon noticed that he wasn’t the only one looking at the princess with a longing gaze. Other men scattered around the tavern looked at her intently, waiting for what she was going to say or do. Whether she was going to dance or sing or do both. And something about their gazes, how they looked at her, was unsettling to Steve. No, he wasn’t jealous. Of course not! He didn’t care if she had just winked at that brunette or tapped the shoulder of that blonde with a beard. He was just… protective…? Okay, fine, maybe a bit of both.

“Góide a thug na tíre thú? arsa an dúlamán gaelach. Ag súirí le do níon, arsa an dúlamán maorach. Rachaimid chun Niúir leis an dúlamán gaelach. Ceannóimid bróga daora are an dúlamán maorach. Ó chuir mé scéala chuici, go gceannóinn cíor dí. Ó chuir mé scéala chuici, go gceannóinn cíor dí. 'Sé'n scéal a chuir sí chugam, go raibh a ceann cíortha. Cha bhfaigheann tú mo 'níon, arsa an dúlamán gaelach. Cha bhfaigheann tú mo 'níon, arsa an dúlamán gaelach.”

Natalia had both gotten through the second verse, and nearly crossed through the entire tavern before she was in front of Steve again. Her voice filled the room, and by then there wasn’t one person that wasn’t solely focused the redhead.

“Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach. Dúlamán na farraige, be'fhearr a bhí, be'fhearr a bhí. Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach. Dúlamán na farraige, be'fhearr a bhí, be'fhearr a bhí. Be'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn,” she repeated the chorus once more, this time with the drummer and fiddler joining in, both of which who presumably knew the song.

“Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach. Dúlamán na farraige, be'fhearr a bhí, be'fhearr a bhí. Be'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn. Be'fhearr a bhí! Be'fhearr a bhí!” 

She seemed to exult, a new enthusiasm seemed to come over her as she began to spin and jump. The other musicians followed in pursuit, with the drummer performing a little jig. 

“Be'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn!” she finished, and the music came to an abrupt stop.

The moment of silence didn’t stay silent for long, as the tavern erupted in cheers or whistles. Some clapped, while others just talked amongst themselves.

“Please, sing another!” the drummer asked.

Natalia shook her head, declining kindly, “I’m sorry. That’s the only one I know.”

“You have a lovely voice, my lady,” the fiddler added.

“Thank you,” she nodded to the musicians, then walked towards Steve.

“What?” she asked when she saw him staring. 

“That was lovely,” he sighed.

“I hope I didn’t make your ears bleed,” Natalia laughed.

“No… it was beautiful. Really. What was it about?”

“Irish seaweed and courting men,” she seemed to beam as she laughed at her own explanation.

“I think you’re lying,” Steve muttered, shaking his head.

“If you knew any Gaelic, then you would know for certain what it meant,” she replied.

“Hm. I guess I’ll have to trust you, won’t I?”

“Nothing you haven’t done before.”

He smiled at her. Genuinely smiled at her. That night was unexpected but in the best way possible. He had danced with Natalia, heard her sing. It was a night he would never forget.


	14. Daggers, Swords and a Thief

The next day, they decided they would pack and leave again onto the trail. Steve for one didn’t exactly want to leave the village. After sleeping on a mattress the previous night, he remembered how much he missed it. Oh well, Natalia wanted to leave, so of course that was what they would do.

But he wasn’t complaining. After the past five days he had spent with her, Steve found that he enjoyed his time around the princess. Actually, he was beginning to enjoy it more and more. He hadn’t smiled this much since before Bucky had died. And that ache that remained in his heart from his death was beginning to heal, or at least felt less noticeable with Natalia around. Realizing that they would only have two more days left until they had to head to the back to the castle saddened Steve. He really would miss traveling with her, racing her, and just talking with her for hours on end about the simplest things. 

“That all? We’ve got bread, grain, a pot, water, wine…” Natalia returned carrying multiple supplies. The two were in the marketplace, trying to gather supplies before they left into the wilderness again. 

“I was thinking this too,” Steve handed her a beautiful dagger that had a golden handle and cross-guard, and was embedded with emerald jewels. The blade was made of strong silver, and was sharpened to the point. It came with a cover that matched the handle, and it too had emeralds embedded into the gold. “For you.”

Natalia looked at Steve in awe. She placed the materials that were in her hand onto the ground and took the artistic weapon from him. 

For a few second she didn’t speak, just looked at the knife in her hand, and then at Steve, and back again. 

“It’s beautiful,” her smiled softened. “Thank you.”

She looked down at the dagger again, turning it in her hand, then unsheathing it, and holding it up to the light. After this “formal”, but bizarre inspection was complete, Natalia looked back at Steve.

“Really, I… Thank you,” she repeated, and took a step towards him.

Before Steve even knew what she was doing, her lips were on his cheek, giving him a delicate kiss. It was nothing more than a peck, but the feeling of her lips on his skin sent shivers down his spine and an electric feeling through his veins. 

When Natalia backed away, turning to the materials she had placed on the ground, Steve quickly tried to hide the blush he knew was settling on his cheeks and (probably) eventually on the tops of his ears.

“Let’s go, then?” she asked, her voice calm, yet somewhat chirpy. Recently, she had seemed to talk to him in that sort of tone quite frequently. 

“Yeah, let’s go,” Steve managed to respond, trying to walk ahead of her so she wouldn’t see the blush that had most definitely made it’s way to the tips of his ears.

Natalia laughed in response. A pretty laugh. It was short lived, but the sound made his stomach flutter, only adding onto that blush. This sort of blushing was one of his cursed traits. In times like this, he hated it the most.

***

As they were packing their things onto their horses, Natalia dashed into the inn, saying she had forgotten something. Steve said he’d start packing her things onto Liho, while she fetched whatever she had left behind.

It was about fifteen minutes past noon, as Steve stood in front of the inn, tying on each parcel onto their horses’ saddles, when all of a sudden, a man ran by. It wasn’t unusual for people to be dashing through the streets, especially at this busy hour, but just how the man was running, and how he was dressed made Steve suspicious. Worried, almost.  
“Someone help! He robbed! That man robbed me!” a woman shrieked, trying to run after the thief. Steve watched as the other people in the streets shrugged, or paid no heed to her cry. He wouldn’t become an ignoring bystander, he had to do something.

Leaving the bags and horses behind, Steve grabbed his sword and dashed down the street where the man had ran. The thief was still in sight, navigating around people, carts, cattle and barrels to try to get away. So far he wasn’t too successful in that matter once the foot traffic on the smaller street began to increase. 

Eventually, Steve caught up to him, his sword ready and drawn, following the thief into an empty corridor. Two large buildings were on either side of the two men, both of which wielded swords and faced the other.

“Give back what you stole, you horrid thief!” Steve commanded, taking a step towards the man.

“Or what? You’ll kill me? I feel that is a much worse crime than taking a few coins,” he spat back. Only now could Steve get a good look at the man who had stolen from that helpless lady. His hair was a ragged tangled dark brown, his clothing tattered, and his face desperate with anger. His eyes were fuming, and he held his sword with an aggression Steve didn’t want to fight. Steve didn’t want to kill this man, but if the situation came to it, he knew that this man wouldn’t hesitate killing him. 

“I’m only going to ask kindly once,” Steve responded calmly.

“Ha!” the thief cackled. “Like you could do me any harm. I’m one of the most skilled swordsman in this kingdom! You won’t be able to beat me!”

“Let’s find out,” Steve replied, his eyes narrowing and his stance became offensive. 

Even so, the thief was the one to give the first swing, and soon enough they were dueling. The thief was good, Steve had to give him that. He was quick to block Steve’s blows, and even quicker to make an offensive move; yet his swings were erratic and unfocused. He didn’t think through his moves, or have a plan of any sort. He just… attacked.

Steve, on the other hand, was more conservative in how he fought. At least in this situation he was. He did very little offensive swings, and was more on the defense. His moves were thought through, each one with purpose. And when Steve did go on the offense, he often got close to landing a swing.

They went back and forth, swords clanking and colliding for about a minute or so before something detrimental happened. Steve had lost his grip on his sword while dodging a swing the thief had thrown at him, causing the weapon to fly and clatter on the ground, out of reach.

Both men looked at each other, Steve with an alarmed expression, while the thief had an evil smirk. 

“Well, well, well,” the man taunted, while slowly backing Steve into the stone wall at sword-point. “Without your trusty sword, you’re a pathetic knight. And I know a pathetic knight when I see one.”

By then, Steve’s back was fully flush to the wall, the thief’s sword was at his neck, and there seemed to be no hope for him. He was cornered. If he even tried to make a movement to get away, the blade would most definitely slice his skin. Steve was running out of options.

“It didn’t have to come to this if you had just let me be. I am one of the most feared thieves Midgaurd has ever known. An outlaw. You think you would get away unharmed? Pft. Silly thinking,” he made another advance on Steve. The blade now most definitely was touching his throat. “Again, I’ve defeated another punny knight. And again, I will kill one.”

The thief took another step, and another, before he was onto a short distance away from Steve. The pressure on his sword only became more and more intense, and Steve began to feel himself drawing blood.

“He’s not the one who’s going to die tonight,” a voice came from behind the man. A female voice. Natalia’s voice.

Steve wanted to shake his head, tell her to get out of there, but he barely had enough space to breath, so he did neither. 

The thief still kept his sword pointed on Steve, but turned around to see who had just spoken to him. He laughed when he saw the sight of Natalia wielding her dagger. Her gold dagger. 

“What? You, a maiden girl, think that you can overtake me? You’re more foolish than this knight!” he exclaimed. His eyes wild and daring. The horrid kind of daring.

“If you mean no trouble, you can walk away. I’m being forgiving to even give you a choice about it,” Natalia stated back. Steve had never seen her with this sort of calm focus. He’d seen her both calm, and focused before, yet negotiating under this sort of circumstance? When lives were at stake? He hadn’t seen this side of her yet.

“You think I’m afraid of a girl with a dagger?” he spat.

“You think I’m afraid of a bastard with a sword?” she snapped back.

In that moment, it seemed as if all anger that the thief had withheld was cut loose. He ran towards Natalia, sword swinging, yet she managed to dodge each swing, backing up as she did so. As he was about to land a mark on her, she reached down and grabbed Steve’s sword, blocking the thief’s blow, and pushing him off of her. 

The dagger had seemed to disappear from her hands, probably sheathed in her belt, as she held the sword with both hands, ready. It looked good in her hands. Skillfully wielded, like she had trained with the weapon for years. There was an ease and comfort she exuded with her offensive swings, paired with a new sort of hunger. A hunger to win the battle. 

Steve stood to the side, not knowing exactly what to do. He was weaponless and still at risk of getting stabbed by a sword. 

The thief seemed to notice that he was no match for Natalia. Even after trying his most complicated moves, she deflected, blocked and advanced against them all. Instead, he turned his attention towards Steve. First, he used a forceful swing to send Natalia into the stone wall, causing her to hit her back against it, hard; then turned to Steve.   
With all this might, the thief charged at the blonde knight, sword ready to attack. Natalia’s eyes widened. He was going to kill him! Her heart was beating out of her chest, rapidly, and her stomach dropped with dread. Quickly, in one swift motion, she tossed the sword over to Steve, and unsheathed her dagger.

Steve caught the sword, just in time to deflect the blow, while Natalia threw her dagger at the thief’s leg. The scene moved as if it was in slow motion. The man trying to swing another hit at Steve, Steve trying to block the swing, Natalia’s knife lodging into the thief’s calf, him falling in pain. The whole thing was overwhelming.

Before the man could get up again, Natalia had the knife drawn to his neck, the edge just slicing his skin. Steve took the opportunity to search through the man’s satchel, eventually finding a sack of gold coins. 

“What do you want to do with him?” Natalia asked, while the thief struggled to get up. But Natalia’s grip was enough to keep him down, and after she gave him a threatening glare, he stopped protesting and gave up, resting his head against the floor.

“Let the local authorities take care of him. It’s too far to drag him to the castle,” Steve sighed, knowing there was still a risk he could get away. Natalia knew it too. 

“I was thinking…”

“No, we can’t kill him!” he argued.

“Do you know who this is?!” Natalia glared. “Johann Schmidt, outlaw, murder, thief. He’s wanted from every corner of this kingdom! He deserves death!”

“He’ll serve his crimes…”

“The king will have him beheaded anyways! He’s committed treason!” Natalia argued, interrupting Steve. She had lowered the dagger until it was above his chest, over his heart.

“Natalia,” Steve place his hand onto of her’s, steadying it, and calming it. The once strong and forceful hand began to soften at his touch, until she was no longer holding the dagger above Schmidt’s heart. “Think of the guilt you’ll have to live with, once you’ve taken a life.”

“Haven’t you taken any?” she questioned, eyes wondering.

“Yes, under harsh circumstances and in war. But if we can prevent it… I don’t wish that guilt onto you,” he responded.

Natalia shook her head, hanging it slightly, “I’ve killed people before, Steve. Whoever you think I am, I am not.”

She took the dagger and stabbed Schmidt’s arm, twice, before cleaning it with the fabric of her cloak, and walking away. Leaving Steve and the thief alone in the alleyway.

“Ah!” Schmidt groaned in pain. “You should’ve just let her kill me. The girl is smarter than you…”

“Shut-it!” Steve punched Schmidt forcefully, knocking his out of consciousness. He could only fear that the thief was right. Maybe. Tying him up to a barrel in the corner of the alleyway, and letting his wounds bleed out would be a good second to death.


	15. The Red Wolf

Finally, they had left the village behind them, and were back on the thin trail. As the hours passed by, Steve’s thoughts no longer dwelled on the outlaw they had left in the alleyway, but more on Natalia. Natalia, and the conversation they were sharing.

“We fight well together,” Steve remarked, reminiscing on their fight against Schmidt. With all the adrenaline rushing through him, Steve didn’t take the time to appreciate how Natalia fought, or even register that they were fighting together, almost in synch. It was something he couldn’t even accomplish while fighting among his fellow knights against the enemies of the King. But with Natalia, it seemed so easy.

“Don’t get used to it,” she quipped, yet when Steve looked at her, her lips were upturned into a small smile. 

“You should become a knight. You’re brave. You can wield a sword better than any swordsman I’ve ever known, better than me. And you have strong wits, a good heart. All the qualities of a knight.”

Steve was looking ahead when he was talking. Looking at the horizon. So much so, he didn’t realize how Natalia’s breath caught and heart stopped when he said she had a “good heart”. Nobody had said anything close to that in nearly a decade. Nobody. She wasn’t used to somebody… saying things of that such. 

Natalia recovered before Steve could notice her surprised glance, and blank stare, shrugging off his comment. “You know the laws.”

“Like I would think that would stop you,” Steve scoffed.

“True,” Natalia shrugged again. “Yet I’m returning because my father wants a princess, or a queen, not a knight.”

“You could be both.”

“Doubtful,” she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. That’s worrying about the future. We still have a day left before we start the journey back to the castle. And there’s one place I want to go.”

“Do tell.”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Of course,” Steve rolled his eyes.

“A good one, I assure you,” Natalia added.

“Don’t worry. I trust you.”

Again Natalia’s lungs felt stuck. All things around her seemed to still as she thought of the words he had just spoken. He trusted her. Truly trusted her. Admitted that he trusted her. Why did that affect her so much?

***

They were riding at night again. The sun had set nearly three hours before, and Steve was tempted to set up camp, being tired and all, yet when he asked Natalia, she refused. Saying they were too close to the wood.

The wood was back. A different section, or maybe a different forest completely, yet how he saw Natalia glancing at it, almost anxiously, every few minutes, made him think it wasn’t safe. Maybe cursed as well.

Suddenly, Natalia came to a stop. Liho grunted, and she shushed him gently. Steve, too, stopped, listening as Natalia looked around. He didn’t hear anything. It was eerily silent. Too silent. No hoots from owls. No sounds of scampering deer or a random wolf howl. None of that. The fact that the trail was thick with fog, covering most of the moonlight, only made it worse. 

Natalia got off her horse, sliding off the saddle silently. No dagger in hand. No, she took off her green cloak and set it to the side, on the ground. Steve looked at her confused, also sliding off his saddle.

“Natalia, what…”

“Shh,” she quieted him gently. Her hand found his arm, and just her touch seemed to silence him. 

“Stay behind me, no matter what. Let me handle this,” she instructed, her voice calm. Why did this feel like that first night they began their travels? Why did it feel like she was going to run off into the woods again?

Then Steve saw it. Lurking only a few feet away. A large wolf.

Its eyes were bright yellow, illuminated in the darkness. That was the first thing Steve saw. And as the fog began to clear, more and more of this creature was revealed. It wasn’t a normal wolf, that was for certain. Its fur was matted and rugged. Scars lined its face. Its teeth sizable teeth were showing through its closed jaw. And it was extremely large, nearly as large as Liho and Harley. It wasn’t a wolf, it was a beast. 

And it was staring right at them. No, not at them. At Natalia. 

Steve looked from Natalia, to the beast, and back again. His heart already hammering through his chest. Anxiety and fear chilled him through. Just how the creature was looking at her. At nothing else but her. It scared him. It thoroughly scared him.

“Keep the horses calm. Stay back. Whatever you do, don’t get in the middle of this,” she stated after a moment. Her voice was firm, but no louder than a whisper.

“In the middle of what?” Steve questioned, but he didn’t receive a response before Natalia was taking strides towards the creature.

“Natalia!” Steve yelled, trying to grab ahold of her hand. Trying to grab ahold of her. 

No! He wasn’t going to lose her! He didn’t know what she was doing, but he wouldn’t lose her! He couldn’t!

Just as Steve was going to run after her, his sword ready to fight the beast, Natalia began to… she… she began to… change?

One second he saw her as a human, the next a cloud of fog blocked his view of her, and when it passed, only a red wolf was standing in her place. Natalia’s dress was on the ground, along with her belt, dagger, and necklace. It seemed as if… no, that’s impossible… but…

The wolf looked at him. Looked straight at him. Its eyes an emerald green. A green he would never forget. It was her. She was the glorious red wolf.

The wolf gave him one last glance, and seemed to nod, before it ran off, down the trail, towards the beast. 

That’s why she told him to stay back. That’s why she told him to calm the horses. That’s why she told him to leave the battler to her. Natalia was going to fight the beast. And there was nothing Steve could do to help her.

He was helpless, no match to either of the wolves. He was forced to be an audience of a fight that could turn deadly. A fight she could lose. A fight where she might die.

Steve’s gut wrenched just thinking about it. When he heard the first snarl, he jumped. Already, panic flowed through his body. Forget the horses, forget her orders. He grabbed his sword and ran to where the noise had came from. 

So what if that beast could snap his bones like a twig? 

Steve could not let her die! That would be the last thing he’d ever do. In that moment, running towards the sounds of growls, snaps, and howls, he swore it.

He would not let Natalia Romanova die!


	16. The Battle

Steve found them in a clearing. The fog had seemed to disperse, giving Steve a clear visual of the fight at hand.

Natalia was stalking around the beast, slowly pacing around it with silent paws. Suddenly, the beast made a lash towards her, its jaw snapping and snarling. Its teeth just grazed her tail, as she quickly moved away from the attack, and then faced the beast once again.

Steve decided that he wouldn’t make his move yet, in fear of aggravating the beast if he did so. That would only cause more trouble to him and, especially, Natalia. Instead, he crouched behind a bush and watched from a short distance, ready to jump into action if things turned to the worst. 

His sword felt heavy in his hands, and his throat suddenly went dry. The two were pacing around each other, both slowly moving as they stared down the other. The beast growled every few moments, and Natalia only returned the favor, growling back.

This time, Natalia made the offensive move, leaping onto the beast and catching hold of its right shoulder as she did so.

The beast didn’t yelp, or cry out in any way, instead it turned its head, trying to snap its jaw over Natalia’s face. Eventually, when that didn’t work, and Natalia was still clinging onto the large wolf, it shook its back fiercely, flinging her off and onto the ground. 

She landed with a thud, her back hitting the ground first, causing her to tumble a few feet before she regained her footing. And just in time, as the beast charged towards her, eyes flaring, as it attacked.

Natalia didn’t run. No, she stood her ground, fighting the beast right back. They were a tangle of paws, limbs, and fur, as they fought. Sometimes Natalia was winning, bitting the beast hard over the ears or back. Yet then, sometimes, it was the beast who was winning, pinning her to the ground and using its sharp paws to slash her skin. He didn’t get far in the act as she nimbly escaped his grasp, and then they were pacing again.

It was a deadly dance. They would circle each other, then attack, and eventually repeat the same process over and over. It seemed as if the fight would never end.

Even as Natalia had attacked more frequently, landing scratches, and bites onto the beast, it didn’t seem to cause any damage. The beast still was as strong as ever, charging right back at Natalia whenever she would land an attack. 

Natalia on the other hand… any slash or bite was shown evidently on her auburn red fur. The blood was hard to see in the dark, yet the wounds were visible. After being thrown off the beast’s back, once again, she seemed to be limping. One of her paws was most definitely hurt, not to mention that the beast had landed a horrific bite that punctured deep in her skin, above her shoulder-blade. 

Even so, the red wolf didn’t give up. She didn’t give the beast any sign of her weakness, and continued to fight without relent. 

Pounce after pounce, snarl after snarl, attack after attack, Natalia restlessly fought. She had even landed some slashes that made the beast grunt and wince. That was a start…

As Natalia tried to pounce once more, her tail flicking, and her body agile, the beast clamped its mouth around her middle.

A wave of panic crashed over Steve, and his blood went cold when he heard her yelp. It was like a cry, an agonizing cry, coming from the red wolf. Natalia’s cry.

He watched as she tried to fight the beast off, kicking and snapping, trying with all her might to be released from its jaws. And after landing a kick to its eye, the beast relented, and dropped her onto the ground.

Yet that wasn’t the end of it. Natalia could just barely get up before the beast was on her again, its paws holding her down, pinning her to the ground. To Steve’s surprise, the beast didn’t slash her again. It didn’t use its paws. No, what the beast did was much worse.

Steve watched it took Natalia in its mouth, once again, and threw her across the clearing. She landed limply onto the ground, whimpering as she did so.

As the beast slowly stalked over to her, unlike the times before, Natalia did not get up. She did not try to fight back. She just laid there.

For a moment, Steve thought she was dead. His heart seemed to stop, all things around him froze. And it felt as if his soul had dropped into the pit of his stomach.

But then she turned her head. She looked at him. Her familiar, brilliant, enchanting, beautiful green eyes looked at him. They stared into his soul. They were sad. They were hurt. They were… saying goodbye.

She was trying to take one last look at him before she would die. She thought she was going to die.

That look was all it took. That helpless look.

Steve immediately sprung into action, wielding his sword and shield. He saw Natalia’s eyes widen, as if panicked, yet she still didn’t move. 

Once the beast saw him, it quickened its pace, running towards Steve. 

In that moment, Steve didn’t think about how large the beast was. He didn’t think about its sharp claws, or its powerful teeth. He didn’t think about how its eyes glowed with hunger and lust for death. He didn’t think about how strong it would be. No, Steve only thought of Natalia as he stood there. Only her.

In less than a second, the beast was less than a foot away. Steve ducked quickly, looking up at the being running overhead. And when the timing was right, he thrusted his sword into the beast’s chest, right at the heart.

The creature didn’t fall immediately. It wasn’t a heroic win. No, the beast groaned in pain, only for a second, before it charged back towards Steve.

All reality seemed to settle in Steve’s mind. He only had his shield, which would do nothing against this monster. If his sword did no harm, how could his shield?

Just before the beast reached Steve, just before Steve ducked behind his shield, prepared for impact, a flash of red dashed in front of him. 

Natalia had made one last pounce, flipping the beast onto its back, in which she pounced again, sending the sword deeper into its chest. A low howl erupted suddenly, echoing among the trees. It was a deafening sound. A horrific sound. 

But when Steve looked over his shield, he found the beast lying motionless, with the sword embedded in its ribs. His eyes searched for Natalia, finding her also lying on the ground. The soft rise and fall of her chest was visible, and Steve let out a breath of relief. 

Another cloud of fog seemed to pass through, and once it had left, it revealed Natalia. Human Natalia, naked and hurt.

Steve ran over to where the horses were located (miraculously, they didn’t gallop away during the fight), grabbed Natalia’s green cloak, then ran back to where she laid.

Her red hair was splayed across the ground, as she laid on her side. Once Steve touched her, wrapping the soft cloak over her body, her eyes fluttered open.

“Steve?” she asked. Her voice was quiet and soft. So soft. The softest Steve had ever heard. It would’ve melted his heart if it wasn’t laced with the tinge of hurt he knew she was feeling. “Steve… I…”

“Shh. Just rest, Natalia,” he whispered. He eventually picked her up, cradling her in his arms as he walked back to where Liho and Harley were waiting.

Natalia didn’t rest. She didn’t close her eyes. No, they persistently stayed on him. He felt her gaze, it was strong, but caring. Steve would’ve returned it, yet he needed to watch his footing in the dark.

Once they got back to the horses, Steve gently laid her on the grass. While he began to unpack blankets and the cooking-ware, he still felt her relentless stare on his body. It wasn’t unwelcome. In fact, just the feeling of it made his heart flutter. Yet she needed rest, above all things.

“You can sleep. You should sleep, Natalia,” Steve sighed, softly, while bringing her two blankets. One her’s, one his’. 

“But…”

“I’ll be here,” Steve smoothed the blanket over her body. “I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

She didn’t respond this time, just stared at him. Her eyes became dazed, and her breath seemed to catch, with her red lips parted just so. 

“Then, when you wake tomorrow, I’ll tend to your wounds. Alright?” 

Natalia nodded weakly, and Steve watched as she slowly closed her eyes. He was tempted to kiss her forehead. Tempted to smooth the hair out of her face. Yet he did neither.

He just let her rest. That was good enough for now.


	17. An Explanation

When Steve awoke the next morning, after a restless night of sleeping on the damp grass, and keeping watch over Natalia every so often, he felt as tired as ever. But when he glanced at the redhead still sleeping only a few feet away, any feelings of aggravation or annoyance seemed to disappear.

As if Natalia could feel his gaze, she woke a few seconds later. She sat up slowly, causing the blankets to pool around her middle and she held a section of it over her chest. It revealed multiple scars, scabs, and wounds that Steve hadn’t seen the night before, and, immediately, the knight was on his feet.

He rifled through his saddle bag until he found some cloth to use as bandages (if necessary) or a washcloth, as well as some fresh clean water, in which he warmed over the fire.

Steve moved silently by Natalia’s side, settling the pot of warm water and the cloth pieces on the ground next to him. He was sitting behind her, with her back facing him. He moved her hair away, over her shoulder, to not only reveal the multiple gashes and punctures littering in back, but the black markings as well. Only now, he could get a good look at it. Indeed, they did seem to be a sort of tattoo, starting at the base of her neck and traveling all the way down to the small of her back. 

No matter how much he wanted to, Steve didn’t ask questions. Instead he took one of the cloths, dipped it into the water, wrung it out and pressed it against the largest wound on her back. 

Natalia flinched at the contact, followed by a shiver. Steve took notice and only let the cloth graze over her wounds, not allowing it to touch directly. That was more than enough, as the cloth began to soak the dripping and still wet blood off of her back.

“I think I owe you an explanation,” Natalia sighed after a moment. It was the first thing she had spoken the entire morning.

“No. You don’t owe me anything,” Steve shook his head, even though he knew she couldn’t see it.

Natalia turned to him, readjusting herself until she could see him clearly. Steve stopped dabbing her wound when their eyes met.

“I want to tell you. Everything. I need to tell you everything. I’m done hiding it,” she responded.

Steve didn’t know how to respond, he just gave her a kind nod. She turned her back to him again, as if to signal Steve that it was okay for him to continue cleansing her gashes.

“Where should I start?” she asked after a second.

“The beginning?” Steve suggested.

“The beginning,” Natalia sighed.


	18. Natalia's Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally find out what had happened to Natalia all those years ago. I will warn you, there are mentions of abuse (physical), but no detailed descriptions of it. It's from Natalia's POV.

She had went to sleep in her bed that night and woke up on a stone floor the next morning. Her arms were tied, as well as her legs, and immediately, she knew she wasn’t alone. She could hear voices echoing from a different room in a language she couldn’t understand. 

Natalia started to panic not knowing where in the world she was. She tried to get out of the bindings, yet all it did was draw attention to herself. Meaning, that she caused four men to enter the small room she was kept in.

They didn’t speak to her, just spoke amongst themselves in that language Natalia did not know. Every few words or so, they’d glance at her, eyes predatory and evil. Eventually, one of the men kneeled by her side, and began to undo the rope bindings, though only the ones on her legs.

“Please! Let me go!” she yelled, trying to kick and scream at the man. “Let me go!”

The kick never landed on the man’s body, as he had grabbed her foot, holding it harshly. Her pleas and screams were met with a hard slap across her jaw.

“Quiet! If you wish to live, don’t you dare test me!” he growled, letting her leg fall out of his hand. The rest of the men left the room, following the one that had slapped her. The door, which was originally open, closed harshly, and Natalia could hear the lock click into place.

Timidly, she brought her hand to her face, wincing as she touched the bruised bone. If she had a mirror, she would’ve seen its color slowly turning purple. 

She cried the first night, trying her best to quiet her sobs, yet it did no good. The men had heard her crying, and she was met with another set of slaps, and new bindings added to her feet.

After that night, Natalia didn’t cry. She didn’t speak. Instead she listened. 

She had always been a diligent listener. Ever since she was little, she’d roam through the corridors of the castle sneakily, listening to random conversations, not like anybody noticed her anyways. She was raised by her nursemaid, was always measured second to her brother, and neither of her parents seemed to care about her. 

When she was young, she became friends with the sons and daughters of her maids and servants or the other people who served her on a daily basis. They were the only ones who gave her any attention. 

Yet at around the age of eight, her nursemaid started teaching her how to be “a lady”. Since in her father’s eyes, playing with the stable boys and roaming the meadows in her free time was unacceptable.

She was taught how to sit, how to walk, how to act, how to be. How to take everything with a smile and laugh. And how to listen. 

So, Natalia listened. Over the course of months, she listened. Learning the language these men spoke, slowly. She eventually determined that it was Gaelic, and after about a year, she learned how to understand it fully.

They hadn’t done much to her. Not yet. And Natalia was wondering why in the world these men had kidnapped her in the first place. They didn’t ask for information. They didn’t hold her for ransom. No, there was something more to it. 

One night, about three years after the anniversary of her raptus, Natalia learned of their grand scheme. They wanted to turn her into a monster. THEIR monster.

It was late at night, and the men expected her to be asleep. They hadn’t discovered that she even knew their language either, so all in all, they didn’t take any effort in keeping their voices low.

“Her birthday is coming. Soon she’ll be sixteen years of age. Soon she’ll be ours,” one explained.

“Yet, we have to have her accept the spell willingly. It’ll only work if she recites the words.”

“Hold her against knife point, put her under a spell; there has to be some way to avoid that,” another scoffed.

“No, not when trying to use the pure Romanova blood. If we want her under our control, able to turn on our command, and obey us fully, she has to accept the spell willingly,” the first one argued.

“And we must tell her the purpose of this?” 

“No, we can spin it. Trick her into something. She doesn’t even know why she’s here.”

“What if we do force this spell against her will?”

“She won’t turn into the beast we want. There will be repercussions.”

“What repercussions? She’ll turn into a normal wolf, not a werewolf? She won’t be as strong or large? She won’t be as the book says?”

“We don’t know what will happen, yet I suggest we don’t risk it.”

“So we, her captors, have to make her agree to recite a spell. She hasn’t spoken to us in a year! A year! I fear she’s gone mute! I think we’re going to have to beat a word out of her at this rate!”

“She’s a princess. Timid. Meek. We probably scared all reasoning out of her. Those girls are delicate and fragile as ever. Just how she reacted the first time I hit her, you could tell.”  
Natalia heard some of the men shrug, others muttering under their breath in response. She, for one, was horrified. This was why they wanted her, for her bloodline. For dark magic, and to turn her into a werewolf. Or some kind of wolf. Did these sorts of things even exist?

How they were talking scared her. For the most part, they hadn’t harmed her. Not physically anyhow. Yet after listening to this conversation…

What would they do to her if she refused?

“We’ll start tomorrow. Every day offering her pieces of the spell. We need her to recite the four verses total.”

“Tomorrow then.”

“Tomorrow.”

Tomorrow came, and not soon enough. She was given her daily meal, some sort of bread and mush, yet this morning it came with a note. Writing, written like lyrics for a poem, embedded in Latin. She knew Latin well enough. She had to recite prayers in the language during Church, yet she had to pretend she didn’t. Natalia had to make them believe she hadn’t read that language in her life. 

The man giving her the food, who was old with a beard, watched as her eyes skimmed over the paper. She made an effort to look confused, before placing it down and reaching for her food with no response.

“Can you read that, girl?” he asked, pulling the food away from her.

Natalia shook her head.

“Answer me! Speak!” he yelled back.

It would’ve been better if they thought she was mute, then they wouldn’t even be able to get her to talk unless it was against her will.

“Speak!” he threatened again, his muscular hand grabbed ahold of her, lifting Natalia onto her feet and against the wall. His other had seemed ready to strike her.

“No, I don’t know that language,” she squeaked, and Natalia hated how helpless she sounded. Hated it!

The man let her go, and let the metal pan of food clatter to the ground. The mush splattered across the floor, and the bread rolled against the dirt.

Natalia ate it anyway. It would be one of the two only meals she’d get. She wouldn’t want to waste it.

The next day was the same. The same note, though this time with pronunciation footnotes at the bottom of the page. 

The man told her to speak the words. Natalia refused. Again, the man threatened to strike her. This time he did. She still didn’t read the words.

This continued on for weeks, nearly a month. Every time Natalia was told to read the words on the note, she refused. Every time, she was beaten. It only grew worse and worse until she refused to even speak, returning to her muteness (though, of course, it was by choice, and a facade). 

After about a month and a week after their first attempt, Natalia heard the men discussing it again.

“We need someone to convince her. Someone she doesn’t know.”

“But someone who’s on our side. Who believes in our cause.”

“I know someone.”

“Good, we’ll try that technique.”

Not even two days later, a woman was let into Natalia’s room. Her hair was grey, though her face didn’t look old. She may be a woman, yet that only made Natalia more cautious of her. The woman’s eyes were sharp, cold as ice. Her face was still and firm, her mouth making a straight line. The lady wore an elegant dress, much better than the rags Natalia found herself in. It was black, pitch black, but included highlights of grey and silvers (which strangely enough, matched the woman’s hair).

“Dear child,” she spoke softly. It only caused for Natalia to distrust her more. 

The woman took a seat across from her, as she closed the door behind her. 

“Do you know what they want?”

Natalia didn’t make a move to answer.

“I assume you do, because you’ve refused,” the lady tisked.

“I am Madam B. A local of these parts, and familiar with the men who have brought you here,” she continued. Again, Natalia gave no response. “And you’re Natalia. The beautiful princess of Midguard.”

The woman began to move closer to Natalia, eventually touching her red hair and stroking it between her thin fingers. Natalia wanted to move away, escape this woman’s touch. Yet she felt as if she was trapped in place. And in this small room, it wasn’t like there was anywhere else to go.

“You’re scared. You’re fearful of these men,” Madam B explained, still absentmindedly threading her hands through Natalia’s hair. “But, my dear, there is nothing to be afraid of.”

Natalia wanted to scoff. After everything they had done? After learning what they’re planning to do? How could she not be afraid of them?

“You are a gift. A gift to mankind. If you let as give you a gracious power, imagine how much good we can do with it?”

“And what do you consider good?” Natalia snapped. She suddenly had the urge to respond, test the witch that lied in front of her. 

“Ah, she does speak. And has a pretty voice too.”

“Answer me!”

“So demanding,” the madam sighed, “though I understand where you get it from.”

She stopped touching Natalia’s hair, but instead took her hand.

“Power is in the wrong hands. With your gift, you will free all those living under a corrupt leader. We’ll give you power, strength. A magic that nobody else could posses. You will be a savior. We could give you all you need! Let us help you!”

Harshly, Natalia pulled her hand away from the madam’s. 

“I don’t want help! I don’t want your help! All I want is to go home! That’s all I’ve wanted for years! Not to go under a spell, not to be your ‘gift’, not to be powerful, or magical. I just want to return home!” Natalia nearly sobbed, yet she didn’t dare let a tear escape her eye. 

Madam B looked at the princess, almost shocked at the outburst of emotion. Then she chuckled.

“You don’t understand, my child,” she began, “you don’t have a home. Not anymore.”

What…? What was she talking about?

“Your mother is dead. Your bother too. They’ve stopped searching for you. They’ve stopped caring. And after we’re through with you, they’ll never want you back.”

“You’re lying!” Natalia shot back. It was getting harder and harder to choke her sobs back and hold her tears.

“No, you’re lying to yourself. You don’t have a home. You have no place in this world. This is your place. Your only place. We are your people now, and you will do our bidding,” Madam B responded. Her voice a chilling calm.

“I won’t! I won’t agree to this! And I have to be willing to take the spell for it to work!” she argued.

“Ah, so she does know what’s going on. You understand more than you reveal,” the madam said with a sly grin on her face. “But no, that has changed. We’ve found a loophole. We’ll force this onto you. That much is clear. If you let us use you willingly, it’ll hurt less. You resisting won’t make a difference in the result, just the amount of pain it takes to get there.”

By then, Madam B was on her feet, pacing the room slowly. She gazed down at Natalia with a harsh glare, one that could burn through metal.

“So, will you?” she eventually asked. “Will you go willingly?”

“Never,” Natalia spat.

“Fine. Have it your way. You will regret it.”

The older woman left the room, locking it closed as she went. Leaving Natalia alone with her thoughts.

Should she have given herself up? No. No, Madam B had to have been lying. The men said they needed her willingness. She had probably said that to convince her to agree. 

Only Natalia found not even three days later how wrong she was. They were going to do the spell on her, without her own recital of it.

On that evening, one of the men came into her room, carrying her food. This time, like most of the others, he left it. Not even bothering to give her the note.

And like every evening, Natalia ate the food. She realized, as she faded in and out of consciousness not even half an hour later, that she shouldn’t have.

***

When Natalia woke up, she was in her cell again, yet something felt… off. Wrong, different. She didn’t feel tired. Her muscles felt stronger. Just lifting herself off of her cot felt easier.

And then came an unusual feeling. A burning sensation on her back. Natalia tried to muffle the scream that was going to escape her lips. It felt like fire was traveling up and down her back. It followed patterns, almost like it was creating images on her skin. 

That morning, when the man brought her her food, he left quickly, and locked the door with haste. Why? He usually would enjoy tormenting her in one way or another. 

Natalia didn’t even waste time with the food, or on her thoughts about her captor. No, she emptied out the shinny pan, turned it over, and used it as a mirror so she could see her back.

The pan clanged harshly against the ground when Natalia saw the reflection. A sharp gasp escaped her lips, and immediately she felt a sickening feeling fill her stomach.

There were images on her back. Black, inked in images. Panicked, Natalia tried to rub it off, get it off of her pale skin, yet it was no use. The markings were embedded into her. They could’ve only been created by one thing, magic.

They had done it. They had used the spell on her.

But if so, why hadn’t they used her yet? Why was she still trapped in this room?

As Natalia walked across the room, trying to pace, she realized something. Her foot was chained to the wall. Not tied, chained.

They wouldn’t chain something that could do them no harm. They had never chained her in the past, ever, only using ropes. That meant they thought she was dangerous. Perhaps the magic had backfired.

“Repercussions” as the man had said. There weren’t in control of her. But somehow, she still was given the power.

She tested herself. That entire day, she tested her limits, trying to figure out what was different about her. What had made her so dangerous.

After pulling on her chain, she found she had some strength, enough to break the flimsy metal (though the chain was old and rusty, so it didn’t take much effort). She tried running in circles, yet she wasn’t given enhanced speed. She tried to telepathically communicate, or read other’s thoughts, yet it led to no luck.

Natalia didn’t know much about magic, but after trying multiple different tricks and tests, she had given up, thinking that strength was all she was given.   
Yet when she picked up the pan, a skillet to be exact, by the handle, a feeling overcame her. It felt as if she knew the pan by heart. Knew it’s weak points, its strongest assets, and how to use it. How to use it to attack, to fight.

Natalia didn’t envision herself fighting four men with a frying pan, but if that’s what it took for her to finally escape, so be it. 

And she did. Natalia escaped the room, escaped the hell she had lived for nearly four years of her life. In her anguish, she killed every man. Each one of them painfully, with different weapons in which she all wielded with mastery.

What was the first thing Natalia did once she was “free”? She couldn’t go home. What Madam B said was true. Her father wouldn’t accept her, nobody would. She was cursed. She was tainted with dark magic. Instead, Natalia searched through every book on that shelf to discover what had happened to her, and what powers and curses she had received…


	19. The Admittance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes... we do get a kiss

“I was given power when they tried to cast the spell onto me without my consent,” Natalia sighed, completing her story. “That included a slight amount of enhanced strength, enhanced healing… which is why you might notice that my wounds are nearly healed… and weapon mastery.”

“Weapon mastery?” Steve managed to ask. It was the first question he had asked throughout her entire recall of the events that had happened. The entire thing was overwhelming, and honestly, Steve’s heart hurt just thinking about this all being real. That Natalia had to go through it, all of it. If she hadn’t already killed these men, he would’ve.

“Any weapon I touch, I master completely,” she explained.

“So, their plan backfired, and now you’re an enhanced human being?” Steve clarified.

“These powers came with curses,” Natalia shook her head slightly. “I shape-shift unwillingly. Sometimes I can predict it, other times I can’t.”

Shape-shifting. That’s how she changed into the wolf, wasn’t it.

“That night, the first night we left onto the trail, I felt it coming. That’s when I ran off into the woods,” she explained, looked straight ahead. Steve had finished cleaning her wounds minutes ago, and her gashes had already seemed to heal themselves anyways. Yet still, Steve sat behind her, with her back towards him. For most of the story, her back was towards him. Perhaps she wanted to hid her face. Or maybe she didn’t want to see his. Steve didn’t know which one, or if it was neither. 

“You were that bird…” Steve made sense of the situation.

Natalia nodded, then looked at him. “I’m able to control it now, when I want to. When I became the wolf, I decided to shift. Yet it still comes without my willingness and unexpectedly at times.”

There was silence for a moment. Neither Steve nor Natalia spoke, until Steve eventually had the guts to ask the question that had been looming in his head since he’d seen her at the small lake.

“What about the markings?”

“They’re a curse. That spot in the middle of my back, where the swirls connect? If that spot is punctured, I could die. It’s my weakest point, and the enhanced healing doesn’t do any good to fix it,” she explained.

“It’s beautiful. The markings, they’re beautiful,” Steve breathed, and he started tracing his fingers over the intricate lines.

“They’re horrid,” Natalia shivered, turning around and trying to get out of his reach. The feeling of him tracing her marks, it… it felt so… Natalia couldn’t put a word on it. The heat of his touch traveled through her. Her entire body took notice of it, yet in a good way. That was… different. She wasn’t used to touches feeling so… good. “They taint me in every way possible, they…”

“They are beautiful,” Steve said firmly, though in such a soft way that it noticeably made Natalia’s breath catch. He stopped her from moving, and looked her in the eyes. Looked at her in a way in which neither of them could look away.

“They’re beautiful, as you are Natalia,” he continued. Steve didn’t know where this was going. He had these feelings stuck inside him for so long, but once he saw her, her true self, it was as if everything had fallen into place. He realized, he had feelings for her. Strong feelings. And he hadn’t planned to express it that day, or ever, really, yet…

“All of you is beautiful. Each marking on your back, each creature you may shift into. You’re a beautiful girl, a beautiful woman. A beautiful warrior.”

Steve waited as the silence grew thick, waiting for her response. Had he overstepped? Had he just made himself one of the biggest fools in the entire kingdom? What had he done?!

“Not a beautiful princess?” she asked, her eyebrow arching slightly as she gave him a challenging smirk.

“You’re that too, but being a princess isn’t all that I see,” Steve admitted. “I… I just see you.”

What Natalia did next was entirely unexpected. Steve didn’t even know how it transpired, it happened all so quickly. 

Before Steve could’ve even taken another breath, after finishing his admittance, Natalia had captured his lips in a kiss.

She had turned her head just so, then leaned into him, causing for their lips to collide. She stole his breath in that moment. Natalia had stolen his entire being. It felt electrifying, yet impossibly still and slow at the same time.

Though the kiss only lasted a few seconds, it felt as if it had lasted an eternity. Natalia tasted like heaven. Like lemongrass, and peach. 

He knew in that moment that nobody would ever make him feel the way he felt around Natalia. His heart wouldn’t leap at the sound of anybody else’s laugh. His stomach wouldn’t flutter to anybody else’s smile. His skin wouldn’t tingle to anybody else’s touch. And he wouldn’t receive this merciless high from anybody else’s kiss. 

Call him quick to jump to conclusions, yet when Natalia had kissed Steve, it only confirmed every feeling he had for her. That she was the woman he loved. The only woman he would ever love. 

Natalia Romanova had stolen his heart.


	20. Under the Waterfall

On the last day before Steve had to start their course back to the castle, Natalia led him to the last place she wanted to visit. 

Steve, still having no clue where or what it was, followed her, almost eagerly, as they rode down the thin trail. Slowly, it was seeming to disappear, and once Natalia took a turn, heading towards a scatter of trees, the trail was gone completely.

The knight opened his mouth to speak, but Natalia interrupted him before he could even get a word out, “If you’re going to ask me where we’re going one more time I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”  
Steve chuckled in response, “I was actually going to ask if we’re almost there.”

“That’s nearly the same thing,” Natalia scoffed, then her voice turned somewhat serious. “We’re actually practically there, only a little ways to go. I assure you, it’s worth it.”  
“Well, I had no doubt about that.”

Even though Steve couldn’t see her face, since she was leading the way, he could just envision her lips curling into a soft smile at his response. It made him smile to himself, almost absentmindedly. 

They only had to ride a few more trots before Steve saw what they had traveled nearly an entire day for: three triplet waterfalls all flowing into a large pond. 

The scene looked magical, like it was taken out of a novel. Sunlight flitted through the thin canopy of leaves, giving the area a magical green glow. Wildlife roamed freely; butterflies, bees and dragonflies flew past. The sound of birds chirping filled the air. He even swore he saw a rabbit quickly hop away at the sound of their footsteps. And then there were the waterfalls. The water trickled down the smooth rocky ledge, passing through the crooks and crevices of the stone. The sound of the droplets falling into the pond below was tranquilizing. Really, the whole place just felt surreal. Like he was in a dream. 

“Legends say this is the same pond was where the water naiad Lyella lived. Unlike most water nymphs, she was given a gift to cure a curse,” Natalia began, after sliding off her saddle and started walking towards the pond. Steve did the same until they were side by side, right at the water’s edge, looking out at the waterfall in front of them.

“People would search for her, use the water from this pond, claiming that she could cure them. That she could undo a horrible mistake, take back words that were said wrongly, or even bring back a life. She was said to be able to cleanse their sins and all their greatest regrets,” she continued. Steve looked to her, while Natalia’s gaze still held steady on the water. 

There was a reason why she had chosen this place. There was a reason why she knew this story. The thought that she… she felt she was cursed, it hurt Steve. He knew she would torture herself in her mind, belittle her self worth into close-to-nothing. And he hated that thought, because to him, she was the most valuable person in his life. To him, she wasn’t tainted by a curse. To him, she was Natalia, and he loved every single part of her. Why couldn’t she see that? That there was nothing for her to fix? 

Steve hoped he would someday show her that. That he would be able to show her how much she meant to him. And that she was beyond valuable, and worthy. 

Natalia seemed to ignore Steve’s soft (yet somewhat saddened) gaze, and just continued her story, “Yet even if the people came, Lyella was never there. She saw their curses and deemed them small and insignificant. They would barter and pray that she listen, that she would cure them. But the naiad turned everyone away. Some were desperate enough that they bathed in the water that was said to be magical, yet it never did any good.”

She paused from telling her story to look at Steve, as if she had finally felt his stare. Natalia gave him a glimmer of a smile before speaking again. Both of them averted their eyes back onto the water.   
“One day a man came along. He was burdened with many curses. Curses that people deemed unnatural. Curses that caused harm and pain and evil. And this man wanted to be healed, and cleansed. That was the only time Lyella cleansed a human. She saw his turmoil and took pity on him. Unlike the rest of the people that had came to her, his sins were heavy and painfully significant. She cleansed him, and the man went on his way. He was ever grateful for what the naiad Lyella had done for him,” she finished.

There was a moment of silence, only filled by the distant sound of a bird’s song, before Steve spoke.

“It’s a beautiful story to match a beautiful place,” he said, his tone soft. “Where did you hear it from?”

“I read it in a book,” Natalia shrugged. 

Steve nodded in response, not expecting anything differently.

“Have you ever been here before?” he asked, now turning to face the redhead.

“No. Only read about it. It was the only book they gave me, the only book that was in english,” she explained, and there was something in her expression, how her eyes glimmered, that filled Steve’s heart with wonder, yet also ache. 

She seemed at peace, calm, like she was looking back on a good memory. That this place (that used to be a figment of her imagination, that was the one thing she turned to find solace in during all those years of isolation) was the only place she wanted to be. But there was a sadness in there too, because Steve knew that when she was telling the story, she subjected herself to be the cursed one.

Steve wanted to do only one thing in that moment. At first, he was hesitant to do it, but eventually, the knight found the courage to slowly (agonizingly slowly) pull her into a gentle embrace. He honestly expected her to break out of his arms, yet Natalia did no such thing. She seemed to melt into his hold, resting her head against his chest. 

For those sacred few seconds, of her in his arms, Steve relayed ever comforting thought he could think of through his touch. That she wasn’t alone. That she wasn’t cursed. That she was valued. That she was… loved. That she didn’t need some magic water to heal her faults. 

The hug only did last for less than a minute, before he saw Natalia look up at him. A playful smirk was etched onto her face, full of mischief, and before Steve could even react, she had pushed him into the water.

When Steve resurfaced, his entire body soaked, his ears were met with the sound of Natalia’s laughter. 

“Nat!” he tried to yell angrily, but couldn’t help laughing as well. The nickname seemed to slip out, born into the air for the first time, but Natalia responded to it just the same as if he was calling out her true name.

“Is it cold, my knight?” she continued to laugh, taunting him. It was nearing the end of fall, so of course the water was close to ice cold. But somehow, Steve barely noticed it, his entire body warming from just her laugh and smile.

“Why don’t I help you find out?” Steve responded, and quickly jumped from the bank to grab Natalia’s hand. He missed, but instead his fist found hold of her skirt. Either way, it caused for Natalia to lose balance and fall into the pound as well.

“Steve!” she shrieked once her head bobbed above the surface. “It’s freezing!”  
Steve continued to laugh, which only encouraged Natalia to splash him with more water. He felt her dress flow by as she swam around the small pond.

“Are you cold?” he asked after a moment. They were both trending water, trying to keep afloat.

“Yes, but I love it,” she beamed, and dipped her head in the water once more. Her red hair submerged in the water looked silky smooth and completely weightless. “It makes me feel alive.”

She eventually found his hand, and began to tug Steve towards the base of the falls. He followed her lead (once again), until they stopped right underneath the waterfall. The droplets poured over their heads in a soft trickling shower. At this section of the pond, both Natalia and Steve could stand.   
Somehow, Steve found Natalia in his arms again, as she braced herself between him and the rocky wall. Their eyes made contact and the moment suddenly felt all too magical. Her green eyes looked so deeply into his, and Steve returned the favor.

Water droplets stuck onto her skin, and her wet red hair cascaded down her back. She was breathtakingly gorgeous. And in that moment Steve could only think of doing one thing: kissing her.

He leaned in slowly, tentatively, wondering if she would back out of his reach. But Natalia leaned in as well, first eyeing his lips, then meeting him in the middle. Their lips touched, fitting perfectly together, pushing and pulling against each other. 

Unlike the kiss Natalia had initiated back at their makeshift camp, this kiss was deep, and full of passion. Steve’s arm absentmindedly snaked around her waist, bringing her closer to him, while his other hand found her cheek and cradled her head. All the while, he felt her hands in his hair or at the nape of his neck. Each touch warming his shivering body. 

Steve tasted her. Tasted her breath as she breathed for a second before diving into another kiss. He tasted the fresh water that trickled onto them from above. And it was all intoxicating. Steve couldn’t get enough.

If their last kiss felt electrifying, this one was a lightning storm. It was complete utter bliss. 

Natalia gave one last kiss, where she leaned into him, and pulled his lips with her own as she pulled away. Her eyes fluttered open as her gaze met his. It seemed… shocked, surprised… yet there were no signs of regret. Not one.

“Natalia…” Steve whispered, practically breathless. His hands circled her hips, still keeping her close to him. “What is this?”  
“I…” she responded, her own voice had that same breathy affect to it was well. “I don’t know.”

She paused, as if she was thinking. Her eyes still were latched onto his own, as if she was trying to gauge Steve’s expression. 

“Are you opposed?” she eventually asked. Her voice was already less breathy, like she had recovered from the thrilling moment that had taken her breath away only moments ago. 

“No,” Steve said firmly. He knew that this, whatever it was, could lead to trouble. They didn’t have much time. From where they were located, it would only take two to four days to return to the castle. Yet, Steve felt that he couldn’t help himself. That these feelings just couldn’t be ignored.

“Good,” Natalia smiled up at him. “Let’s see where it takes us, then.”

All it took was for Natalia to reach up to his cheek and lean in before their lips touched again. Soon enough, they were both engaged in another feverish kiss that consumed Steve’s entire being.

They didn’t feel the cold water dropping over their heads. They didn’t feel the small splash of the current against their bodies. They didn’t hear the sound of a bird chirping, or of their horses quietly grunting or neighing in the background. No, they only felt each other. Each other’s touches, heartbeats and breaths as the princess Natalia and the knight Steven kissed under the waterfall.


	21. The Request

They set up camp before changing into fresh clothes, letting their wet ones hang out on the long tree branches to dry. Once the sun had set, and Steve had finished tending to the fire, Natalia laid her blanket on the ground, sat onto of it, and stared at the fire.

Its flame danced over the freshly chopped logs, making it crackle and pop. It was a pretty sight, a beautiful one too. She watched it like it was one of the most interesting things in the world, and that was bizarre to Steve. She was in a daze, he knew that much.

“What’s wrong?” he asked after sitting down on his own set of blankets (which was laid out only a few feet away from her’s).

“You’re planning on starting the course back to the castle tomorrow,” Natalia sighed, still looking at the fire.

“Yes,” Steve nodded, “and…?”

“And I was thinking,” she sucked in a breath, her eyes eventually meeting his, “what if we don’t go back? What if we continue to roam free? Just like this? Together.”

When he heard her request, the first thing Steve wanted to do was accept it. This week of just utter freedom was pure bliss. Even running around the castle with Bucky as children had never felt anything quite this thrilling. Yet he knew he couldn’t disobey orders. He couldn’t go against Fury, never less the King! Steve had to bring Natalia home.

“You have your duties. Your kingdom needs you, Nat,” he stated, and immediately he felt bad when he watched her face fall.

“I don’t want these duties, Steve. I want… this!” she motioned to the surrounding landscape. “ ‘My people’ in this kingdom don’t even respect me, and you know it. They would rather have anyone ruling over them, but me. I’ve heard talk, I can believe you have too.”

She shook her head, like she was thinking of all the hurtful attacks and assumptions, even rumors, she had heard of herself. Steve remembered how Natalia had said that when she was in the cursed wood, she was “safe from people’s thoughts” and that nobody could make assumptions of her that she couldn’t defend. She liked being invisible. And now thinking back, she always had been. He just (of course) hadn’t noticed. He hadn’t noticed how she seemed to always be separate from her family when they took the throne. How her father would bring her brother onto his lap (when they were toddlers) and not her. How she hadn’t ever gotten any true royal duties (again, unlike her brother). And how the expectations set for Natalia were different. She was supposed to be timid, meek, and quiet. Keeping to herself unless she was talked to. Now suddenly being summoned to be the queen (or at least take up royal duties) when she hadn’t been present in the castle for nearly a decade? She had to be overwhelmed and hesitant to agree to it. 

“Please, Steve,” she pleaded. “Let me get to chose what path I take! Just for once in my life, let me not be a pawn in somebody else’s game!”

Steve looked away, averting his eyes to the fire. If he took one look at her, he knew his heart would betray his head. He knew he would say ‘yes’, that he’d go against orders to fulfill her wishes. 

So Steve didn’t look at her eyes. He kept them on the fire when he responded.

“I have to take you back.”

“Steve, look at me,” he heard her soft voice. He did. Steve brought his eyes up to look at her.

“Say that again. Look at me and say it again. If you can, then I know you mean it,” she stated, her voice firm, though he could tell it was on the edge of heartbreak. She didn’t want to go back. He knew that since the beginning, only now he knew why. Her reasons were valid. She was fully correct in this argument, yet…

“You know I have to take you back to the castle, Natalia. You know I swore an oath,” he explained, looking into her eyes. He immediately saw the disappointment in them. It stung. It really stung.

She looked away, her eyes now focused on something in the distance. Natalia’s expression was completely neutral and stone cold. The sort of expressionless mask she had on when they first met, when she was all but a stranger. The fact that she was wearing that mask again, in front of him, created a new ache in his heart.

“I’m sorry,” Steve explained, really meaning it. Words couldn’t even express how sorry he was. He had just denied her a life that she craved to live, a dream she wanted to fulfill. He had put an end to her freedom, and Steve, honestly, wouldn’t blame her if she hated him forever for it.

“I know,” she spoke, her voice quiet. It sounded so vulnerable yet closed off and distant at the same time. “We’ll go back to the castle then.”

With that, Natalia laid herself down on her blankets and began to fall asleep. Steve tried to do the same, yet he found that he couldn’t. Not after what had just happened. Instead he tossed and turned, thoughts clouding his mind.

He was doing Fury’s bidding, the King’s bidding, but at what cost? What good was going to come of it?

And one thought in particular stuck in his head: ‘how much have I hurt Natalia?’

He never wanted to hurt her, only now he feared he had.


	22. You're Not Alone

The ride back to the castle was rather uneventful compared to the rest of the week Steve had spent with Natalia. Yet (to his relief), she didn’t hold any hard feelings against him due to his decision to bring her back to the castle. Steve fully expected her to give him the cold shoulder, but instead, it seemed that she was making use of the time they had together. They talked casually during their rides, stopped in some villages to buy supplies, and then they’d camp somewhere during the night.

One of those nights, they were talking over the fire about life at the castle. When Natalia asked about the process in becoming a knight, Steve wasn’t one to turn down a story. But then she asked something more… personal. Though, she of course, didn’t know it. 

“What about that other boy you were always with? His name… um.. James, right? I remember you two always sparred against each other. You were inseparable,” she asked, curious. It was an innocent question, yet Steve couldn’t help but feel the pang in his chest when she mentioned his best friend. His brother, really.

“He…” Steve sucked in a breath, “he died. On a mission. We were on the edge of a cliff, fighting off a gang of thieves when… he fell.”

“Oh,” Natalia looked down at her hands. “I’m sorry.”

“No.. it’s,” Steve cleared his throat, trying to choke back any tears that might slip through his eyelids. He hadn’t actually talked about Bucky’s death to anyone. Not really. Nobody understood. Instead, they gave him space. Fury didn’t assign him any missions and the other knights kept their distance. Now he was forced to meet this topic head on, and the unresolved grief that came with it. “He was just…”

Before Steve could continue, Natalia had made her way to his side, sitting next to him over his blankets and wrapping her arms over his body. That was all it took for Steve to break down. His head fell into the crook of her neck as the tears took over. He had prided himself of staying strong during the months after Bucky’s death. Little did he know that what he really needed was to let the emotions flow. To let the grief take him over. To find somebody to cry on. Somebody to hold him.

Natalia did just that. She held him with no judgement, and rubbed small circles along his back. She kissed his cheek and his neck softly, a gesture of sympathy and understanding perhaps?

“You had a strong friendship. The kind that only comes once in a lifetime,” she whispered. “It’s okay if it hurts.”

Steve nodded, eventually breaking her embrace, but just enough to look at her. Still her arms were holding him.

“He… after he died… it felt like I had nobody. Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky. I had tried to move on, but it felt like I never really had, I’d just pushed the feelings away and…”

Natalia held him again, her body flush onto his. Again, Steve felt the tears overcome him. Just thinking of Bucky… that he really had lost him. Steve didn’t want it to be true. Still, he felt like he was somewhat in denial.

“You’re not alone,” she said softly. “Remember that. You have people that care for you.”

‘Like you?’ Steve wanted to ask, yet he didn’t. Instead he melted into her embrace, recovering from the tears that had just been spilled. 

That night, they had fallen asleep together. Well, they hadn’t “slept” together, but instead laid next to each other. Steve just assumed it was because of the chilling wind that rolled through the valley that particular night. That it was the autumn chills that forced them into holding each other close.

Yet both Steve and Natalia knew the true reason. It was the last night they’d have together before they’d return to the castle. They needed each other. And feeling each other’s touch was enough to settle all fears and anxieties of what loomed ahead.


	23. Returning to the Castle

They arrived at the castle the next day. It was close to noon when the grand city came into view. Natalia paused on the hill, bringing Liho to a stop. She gazed down upon the town from the top of the small hill. She didn’t smile nor frown. Natalia’s expression was completely neutral, like she didn’t know what to think.

“I used to come here,” she spoke. Steve, honestly, hadn’t expected her to, so the sound of her voice startled him. “When I was a child, my friend, Clint’s, father would go hunting into the forest. He’d leave us at the edge. I always liked the view.”

Clint Barton. Steve knew that name. The Bartons were the best hunters the kingdom had ever known, making Clint the personal hunter of the King. Though, when he was a child, they were all but common (just like Steve). 

“It’s changed,” she sighed, looking only a few more seconds longer before snapping Liho’s reigns, which caused him to trot again. Steve followed shortly behind, matching her steady pace.

There wasn’t a crowd or parade waiting, and Steve was thankful. He had been vague on their return which was fortunate. The last thing Natalia would’ve wanted was attention brought on her arrival. 

They made their way peacefully to the castle, navigating the streets. At that point Steve was leading the way, until they had reached the castle gates, where he nodded to Brock Rumlow to open them.

The knight did as told, eyeing Natalia as she rode into the courtyard. Still, it was quiet, all until the sound of the bells rang out. Its tone and pattern was similar to the ones that rang the day she had disappeared. It was as if the entire corse of events had came full circle. 

Once the bells had rang, all sense of composure around the castle disappeared. People were running to and fro. Knights were brought to attention, and the sound of confused chatter and erratic footsteps echoed against the castle walls.

Fury was the first to approach Steve, looking at the blonde knight, then at Natalia.

“Good work, knight,” he stated, a small smile finding its way onto his lips. Steve was taken aback. Fury never smiled, not like this. “You’ve found her. The Princess Natalia Alianovna Romanova has returned.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all I've written so far, but I absolutely plan to continue writing this. I believe that there'll only be a second part to the Cursed Series (in which I'll post once I've finished writing it), and it'll be written in Natalia's POV (instead of Steve's). Or maybe, I'll switch between both, I haven't fully decided yet.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this story so far and I'm looking forward to completing it! Any comments, suggestions or predictions are welcome! And, fo course, Kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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